Lost
by shadow-of-the-pear
Summary: Slade, Raven. Alone, unhindered and trapped. The two must work together, forgetting their past; villain and hero unite. Combining their skills, can they escape the foreign dimension? A co-written story. Being rewritten, original run: 31/10/2011 - 4/5/2012.
1. Introduction

**Chapter 1**

**Lost**

**We don't own anything. If we did, well, you can only imagine what would happen...right? Uh huh. Its true. That would happen.**

**Um...now that QLF's randomness is over, please enjoy our re-written chapter 1.**

Museum (yesterday)

Raven's POV

It seemed to be our worst loss in a long time. Maybe that's because it was me who would suffer the most, it was me that went through.

The day started normally, Starfire was cooking poison, Robin was listening to the sound he called music, Beastboy and Cyborg were fighting to the virtual death on the PS3 and I was reading, or at least fooling everyone into thinking I was, so all in all perfectly regular.

That was until the damned alarm rung and Robin announced it was Slade. That boy is obsessed with him, but I understood that. After all, Slade had been the messenger from my hell of a father. I wasn't too concerned when Beast Boy whimpered slightly, and Robin got that serious "if we don't go now we'll die" look on his face. I wasn't even alarmed when Starfire tipped her acid mixture onto the floor when she jumped with terror.

We had all been on edge lately, we had all been expecting the worst. We all had felt it, the bad aura, like a raincloud that refused to fade. The worst eventually happened, just like I knew it would.

"Titans, go!" Robin had yelled as soon as we got to the crime scene. Even I had to admit it brought my spirits up: being able to fight together. This time though the fight was significantly harder, because it was Slade, we were in a museum, and his sole intention was not to get on our nerves.

Slade was after the DD: Dimension Distorter. The fight could've gone either way no problem. The DD sucked people into another dimension, that was it's job, and I had absolutely no clue why Slade was after it. The machine worked well, it did as its name suggested, but it was deemed unstable and uncontrollable so it was placed in Jump City's museum. I didn't really know how we would stop Slade, or if it even was Slade, but I knew we had to stop him, because Slade and a Dimension Distorter spelt trouble.

Once the clash between the good and the bad begun, it seemed to drag on. To me, it looked like we had the upper hand. But the tables turned. They always seemed to do that with Slade in the picture.

A blow to the face sent Starfire tumbling off the museum roof. That wasn't so much a problem, she could fly, but the fact that she hit the DD on the fall was. A small sharp siren alerted us that the DD was activated. A look of shame formed on Starfire's face as soon as she flew back to the roof. She looked away just as quickly.

I ran in the same direction, feet just leaving the groubd with Slade on my heels… and then the stupid portal opened leaving the closest, which was me, to get sucked in.

The last image I remembered before the portal closed was a sobbing Starfire clinging to Robin, Cyborg with his jaw on the floor and Beast Boy running towards me, with arms outstretched, probably to save me. His hand just fit through and my own brushed his fingers before I was wrenched away by the force of the portal.

For a moment I even saw myself, tumbling through a never-ending darkness, with a watery substance pouring from my eyes. Tears. Then everything stopped, and the thought came to me; this was unstoppable, and irreversible, I wasn't sure if I was dead or alive, and I didn't know what had happened to the others, but all those thoughts seemed to disintegrate as my head hit something hard, and everything turned coal black.

End POV.

Raven woke slowly, trying to recover from the lingering grogginess that shrouded her mind. She muttered her disbelief then looked around.

The world surrounding her was filled with what looked like a type of red plant and thousands of unnameable objects. She could at best describe it as a confused jungle. The towering rock foundations seemed far off to Raven but the calm and empty violet sky seemed to relax her. Whatever this dimension was though, she had to get out and get home.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted. Nothing happened. That was strange, she thought, she had felt the normal feelings which she usually experienced during her mantra, but the results weren't there. She was trying to contact Robin or open a portal home. She focused on a tree and repeated her mantra. It was enveloped in black and lifted. There wasn't a problem, she noticed it even felt easier and lighter.

She sighed. So she could only access and use her powers in this certain dimension. The sages of Azarath had foretold the scenario in one of her large collection of magic books.

She continued to brood until she heard leaves on the floor crunch.

"Who i-is it?" she asked, trying to conceal her stutter. The empath was surprised that she could even talk during a time like this. The leaves crunched again and she turned her head to face a small, three eyed bird flying off. It's only a bird, she reassured herself, slowly relaxing again, even if it was a weird one. That was until a voice came from the trees.

"Afraid of a mere bird, Raven? What would the other Titans say?" a far too familiar voice spoke. It caused goose-bumps to wrack her whole body. She wasn't the least bit amazed when she saw the man who was towering over her.

Quickly, she acted on her feet, and lifted her hand to attack, but Slade just as quickly blocked her, and raised both his hands, as if surrendering. "Dear child, I'm not here for a fight. It would be pointless, at best, and I don't want to kill you today."

Confusion crossed her face but was soon replaced by anger.

"Why did you go after the machine? Where are we and what do you want?" she spat black flames as she spoke, getting angrier and angrier. She never was one to keep her cool, and now she was completely in another dimension she did not fear the man in front of her.

"Temper, temper," he scolded. "Yelling won't get you anywhere, but to ease your stress, I'll answer your questions. My reasons are my own, and as for what I wanted it certainly wasn't to end up here."

Raven nodded, accepting it for now, since she had figured the same. Slade looked at Raven, noting her stressed appearance and sighed. Teenagers.

The sorceress began to speak, though it was almost inaudible, "I think, I think..." she tried hard to utter the words, and her voice rose slightly "we should... form an..." she paused, giving a quick glance to Slade, who looked like he was paying attention. She sighed and carried on. " I think we should form an alliance to help each other get out."

Slade stroked his chin weighing out his options; he gave a harsh intake of breath before grasping Ravens outstretched hand and shaking it. He nodded.

She was inwardly relieved. Yes, she could probably take him on, but fighting for her life would be unpleasant, and Azar knew she knew little on the DD, let alone how to escape.

The uneasy duo proposed a temporary truce til they got home and Raven foretold the stories the sages told her. They'd apply what they could to get out, together, and neither of them would ask for anything in return. It would be as if it had never happened.

**Okay, we just re-did the chapter as Amy saw grammar mistakes.**

**If you want, and if its possible, may you guys review to say if it's better? If you ever feel that something's not flowing right just give us a bell-**

**SladeRavenFan and QweerLittleFish over and out.**

**Re edited 7/6/15**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya readers! Thank you all for reading and if you reviewed. A big thanks to WinterYoung, Lust for Life, Blood Dragon XIII and to Eagle wolf05! We love reviews, it means a lot to us! One word, one page, we love it anyways. This chapter was hard to write but it came out eventually. **

**When wrote on our iPods and half-broken laptops we found it particularly long, which gives you more to read. We apologise for having no romance but soon you'll see it's better without it. Although the chapter seems to show slight romance, it's not what we were implying. **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Raven took another long step, her feet aching for rest. She and Slade had been exploring the dimension for hours. They hadn't discovered anything important as everything looked either the same or just too trivial. The confusing jungle seemed to go on into the far distance but they kept moving forward, heading towards a bright, distinct, mountain top.

Raven took another step, this time though; a jolt of pain coursed through her foot. Her face contorted in minor agony. She needed to rest. Raven had already tried to fly but the gravity in the dimension was different. Flying felt like you were a ton of bricks, trying to float on water. It was simply too much. She had decided to just go with the gravitational flow and walk. It was much easier. But it had been many hours and the pain increased. Her head tilted slightly to glance at Slade. His steps were slowing, his back slouching, but his eyes kept focus on the long, dirt ridden path before him, and he concentrated on keeping balance- it seemed that the dimension was affecting them both very differently. When the pain in Raven's feet became unbearable she stopped and leaned on a nearby plant.

Slade kept on going forward. He was tired, but from what Raven had learnt over the past few years, he was never one to give up. He was slightly impressed by Raven's stamina and the gentle footsteps behind him were evidence. He slowed even more and strained his ears to listen for the soft pitter-patter of feet. He couldn't hear anything. Slade came to a gradual stop. He groaned silently and turned to come face to face with a glaring Raven.  
>"I thought that we were in an alliance? So that means we treat each other with respect, am I correct?" Slade sneered.<br>"We are, but that doesn't mean I have to like you, Slade." Raven growled and Slade chuckled in amusement. _"She is quite amusing," _he thought. Raven carried on glaring at the man. _"She could have been a useful apprentice."_ He chuckled slightly, making Raven quite uncomfortable. After he stopped deliberating what could've been, he glimpsed at Raven. Her face was scrunched in pain slightly; she was leaning heavily on another plant, yet again tired and looked like she could collapse at any moment. Slade took it all in. "Regarding your... condition, we should build a temporary base to rest." Raven nodded in agreement. Slade walked steadily towards Raven and she tried hard to conceal a shudder. She looked into Slade's lone eye defiantly, unwilling to back down.  
>"Stubborn girl," he chided "Being insubordinate won't help us escape. All we need is to co-operate." Raven doubted it was that easy, with their interesting past, but she still had common-sense, though it was hard to use with the dimensions strain on her emotions, and knew that voicing her thoughts at that time wouldn't have made a good impression. Slade grabbed then held her arm firmly and Raven cringed at how hard he was squeezing it, and she feared that her arm would snap clean off. He swung it round his broad shoulder and helped her to an empty clearing.<p>

Telekinetically she ripped a long thick stick,that resembled a log and placed it on the clearing. She hobbled over to it, leaning mostly on Slade, with him looking indifferent. Once Raven was seated she gathered branches, sticks and stones and placed them in the centre of the site, preparing for a fire. Nightfall was approaching quickly (there seemed to be less hours in a day in the dimension) and they needed to be prepared. Slade admired Raven's handiwork as she built what resembled a messy campsite. Once finished she stared at it with an analytical gaze and leant back, satisfied.  
>"As you are fatigued, we should rest," He told her. "You can light the fire." Slade reached into his pouch and lightly tossed a lighter to her. Easily she caught and covered it with her fingers, grasping it firmly. "I guess you really are prepared," Raven scoffed. Slade sighed, as if dealing with a bunch of annoying kids. Turning slowly to face her, he spoke "My dear, I hope you aren't complaining. The fact I am prepared should become an asset and if you think otherwise, leave." Fiddling with the lighter, Raven replied. "No! I was just saying you were prepared!"<br>"And what, Raven, do you mean by that?" Raven continued to fidget. "I meant that you seem ready for any situation. You hardly seem bothered with _this_ whole situation. You should learn to accept a compliment." Slade passed her a branch and she lit it, returning the branch back to the pile. The stack of foliage bounced into flames which fell into a gentle fire. The emitted heat sent a relaxing tingle through Raven and she smiled slightly. Slade took a seat next to her, gazing at her relaxed demeanour. Raven looked at him, disbelieving the act of sitting next to Slade. She spoke lamely, as though emotionally drained."It's a nice thing isn't it, just to relax. It's been a while since me and the... Titans have been out anywhere peaceful. It's not that often, with defending the city. They're probably wondering where I am right now." She gave a nervous giggle which sounded tired and dull. "Sorry, I'm rambling." Slade seemed unaffected, studying her. Raven found it unnerving.

"You know, Raven, I'm impressed by you. You're quite... interesting. You are capable of immense strength and are quite intelligent. However, you have one flaw, which is your attachment with the Titans, who are your weakness. Why waste your powers risking your life for people who hardly remember you?" Raven's heart swelled at the compliment but her hands balled up into fists.

"They do remember! I want to help them! They don't need to go through more pain than they have to!" Slade didn't bat an eye.

"Like you have." He said, without emotion. Ravens eye narrowed.

"Like me then!" she shouted, control of emotions being forgotten. She stood angrily and aimed a fist at Slade's mask. "You don't have to insult everything I do!" A piece of foliage exploded and the flames roared aggressively. Slade's hand enclosed her fist and she dropped it to her side. She sat down again, defeated and sighing audibly. Slade placed his large hand over her tense shoulder, feeling as though the situation needed to be fixed. "Raven," he cooed softly. She glared at him, knocking his gloved hand off. "We should just forget it all, okay! The past has already happened. You know what! Once we get out of here and I'll defeat you, Slade! But as for now, just… forget our disagreements," Raven hissed, leaving no room for argument. Slade still was unaffected.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Raven knew Slade was smirking behind his mask and for some reason she didn't mind. She was exhausted and couldn't waste anymore of her diminishing energy fighting with Slade. Her eyelids drooped and she found it increasingly hard to keep them open. Last thing she felt was a strong grip helping her to lie down on the log. Slade smiled slightly, sitting on the ground. With his hands resting comfortably behind his head, he too fell into a strange slumber.

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><p>Fin!<br>A/N There it is. Please review! It means a lot!

Thanks for reading from:  
>QLF and SRF,<br>XXX


	3. Chapter 3

**Our Longest Chapter Yet.**

**We'd just like to thank anyone and everyone who has faved, alerted or even read this story. You guys are really all the difference.**

**We're on our third chapter, and to say that getting this far was hard would be an understatement! But, we will try, and carry on with our heads held high, hoping you will enjoy it-our story.**

**We don't own Teen Titans. If we did, SRF would already be an animated character married to Beast Boy. *sorry Amz, couldn't help myself! :D**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Morning in the new dimension seemed odd. It was sunrise and the clouds were scattered artistically across the violet sky. It looked like a painting you see decorating a manor. Shades of peachy pinks, pale blues and glowing greens dabbed through the sky. The only thing that the image could be compared to would be an un-organised rainbow.

Raven and Slade sat on the log from the night before, staring awestruck at the sky. The fire had long gone out, but the sun substituted well as a new source that provided both light and heat.

Raven sighed in content. To say the least she felt almost rejuvenated, refreshed. Basically, with lack of better words: she felt ready for a new day. Slade could say he felt the same, even with sore muscles, he wasn't complaining.

"Erm... Slade?" Slade glanced at Raven, and she realised he looked distant.

"Yes, Raven?" He acknowledged her presence.

"How are we going to get food and water?"

Slade pondered over the question, mulling it over in his head. A human can go a week without food. It had only been one strenuous day, AND he was already starving.

"I don't know, but I'd say we just travel to the mountains. This dimension must be inhabited by others too. There might be a village there."

Raven looked perplexed. The way Slade had said it made it sound so logical, and she felt stupid. Still, she nodded approvingly. Right then, as if on cue, her stomach groaned and grumbled.

Slade chuckled light-heartedly while the embarrassed Raven stared at the floor.

"Let's just go, I think I have a way we can get there faster," Raven suggested.

"And what, if I may inquire, would that be?" Slade watched as Raven's magic engulfed the largest tree trunk she could. Clicking her fingers, it snapped in half. She dropped one unceremoniously and lifted the other a foot away from them.

"Get on and be quick," she commanded. "Gravity will pull us really hard once we're on, and I can't hold it that long unless you hurry up."

Slade gracefully leapt upon the trunk, balancing perfectly. "Why don't you engulf us with your powers?" he asked.

Raven sighed. As if it was that simple. "Well," she began to explain. "Every time I pick up something alive, I can... see everything. Their life, secrets, fears. Everything. And I don't really want to see yours, no matter what anyone else says. I doubt you'll want me to anyway."

She looked on into the far distance. "Now, I'll need complete concentration, so try not to distract me." He merely nodded and placed a hand upon Raven's back, steadying her as she too leapt upon the wavering trunk.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she chanted aloud.

The girl closed her eyes and pulled the trunk up slowly, ensuring the occupants wouldn't fall. After a few moments, it was already taking a toll on her stressed and busy mind. "Slade, it's too heavy, I can't do this!"

Raven grit her teeth, struggling to lift it higher. The tree trunk tilted dangerously forward and Raven felt herself dangling over the edge, a small footstep from a painful fall. Slade snatched Raven's arms and pulled them back, keeping her safely on the trunk. She sighed in relief.

"Focus, Raven," he instructed, keeping a teacher-like aura. It almost reminded her of Azar. Almost. "Don't let panic overtake you. Just follow my directions and keep a clear mind. Go forward, and we should reach it." Raven's shoulders slumped and she put her soul into it, focusing as Slade had told her to.

The trunk moved forward at a fairly even pace. Raven felt as though her mind would tear in half, just to say the extra weight was stressing her was a understatement. It soon became agony, the stress on her mind being unbearable.

She screamed in pain and the trunk swerved violently. Opening her eyes she watched as Slade leapt off gracefully. He gestured for her to follow but noticed something. Raven was unresponsive, truthfully though, she was trying to put her mind in order. The emotions in her head were yelling in pain, telling her what to do, speaking completely useless things. Control needed to be placed down.

The trunk was dropping towards Slade with Raven still stuck to it. At the final moment she seemed to recover: throwing herself at the floor. The last thing she did was throw the now useless trunk over the edge of the cliff, saving it from crashing on them. Sensing unconsciousness trying to claim her, she willingly gave in, and she found herself in a meditative sleep.

After landing on ground Slade heard the trunk crash at the bottom of the cliff they were on. He stood up and dusted off the remaining sand that must have drifted on during landing. Craning his head to look around, he noticed a lot of things.

They were on the top of the cliff they had aimed for, a 'temple' looking building behind them and Raven's body curled up on the floor. His eye lingered on her still form, and a sigh vented out through his mouth.

"My dear, I'll thank you now that you saved us. But you needn't have found yourself like this, unconscious. Take this as a thank you." Raven didn't reply, swallowed up by her restless dreams.

Slade hastily crouched beside her, examining her body for injuries. There was nothing serious; he found, just minor scrapes and bruises from the harsh ground. The only thing that stood out, but wasn't life threatening, was her head which was bleeding profusely. Still though, it could have been much worse.

Releasing another tired sigh, Slade reached into his grey pouch and retrieved a roll of sterile bandages. After learning the hard way, Wintergreen and him had both carried medical supplies in case necessary. He thanked his old friend now.

Wrapping a bandage carefully around her pale head, he tied a knot to keep it securely fastened. While studying her serene face he placed his toned arms under her knees and neck, and successfully slung Raven over his back. The scene resembled a sack over a tired mans shoulder, albeit the fact that it was a girl, not a sack.

Turning slowly, Slade calmly walked to the temple behind him. The sun reflected off of its gleaming roof, casting an eerie warm glow. It truly looked grand. But really Slade couldn't care less. They just needed adequate accommodations. At that moment though, a man well into his sixties stepped out of the temple, smiling kindly at him. He was shorter than Slade by about two heads and was balding. He was dressed in white robes with a golden outline. A priest.

"Welcome," he said "This is Fortuna au Regnum, which means Realm of Fate. Our precognitive leader, Faye, has predicted your arrivals. We mean no harm to you and merely wish to help you and your friend on your journey."

Slade gawked at him in disbelief. His one eye narrowed into a slit. "You really expect me to believe that?" he questioned with the priest not batting an eyelid.

"Yes. We are all outcasts, delivered by Fate to this dimension. I presume you also think you were brought here by mistake. It wasn't one, Fate brought you here, like others. This is a realm of Peace and should anyone new come, they will be welcomed and helped. Here is where my loyalties lie, like Fate told me. Your path shall become clear soon."

Slade still thought he was hearing a load of crap, but he went through with it. "Fate is a person, I presume?"

The man calmly counted to ten, hiding his annoyance. "Fate, is not a person. She is all around us, forever watching and determining our destiny. Hence her name." Slade merely nodded. The Priest turned and led him, still carrying a limp Raven, into the temple.

Inside it followed a simple and clean theme of yellow and white. An array of wooden benches and alters cloaked in red cloths were organised throughout the rooms.

The man strode nonchalantly into a large, plainly furnished space. It had pale blue walls with matching ceilings, and two beds both with green covers laying fairly close to each other. A desk was placed to the side, that held the keys to the room, with a wooden chair lying next to it.

Overall the area that Slade was inside kind of reminded him of a dumbed down hotel room, or a well-furnished motel.

"This is where you will be staying. As it's late, you will rest, and in the morning Fate will guide you to Faye. Food will be there too." Before the man could leave, he turned once more. "Through that door..."

He pointed to a small white arch in the place. Slade waited for some deep-meaningful secret to be laid out on his lap. The priest smiled, still pointing, "There is an enjoining en suite."

The Priest sauntered off and locked the door behind him, leaving an appreciated silence. Slade gently laid Raven in one of the beds and he himself lay in the other bed.

Raven's dream

"Friend Raven?" A high pitched voice, that duly sounded like Starfire pierced the silence.  
>"Raven, are you okay?" That one was definitely Robin, with a uncharacteristic quiver in his speech.<br>"Yo, Raven? Ya there?" Cyborg's recognisable boom echoed.  
>"Dude! Say something!" Beastboy.<p>

It was her friends. She was home? She glanced around at all of them individually. "Sorry, guys. Is this real? Am I home?" All the titans looked at her strangely, confused. Robin walked up to her.

"Raven, what are you talking about? You're home, with friends." She shook her head and threw herself at Robin, hugging him. The other titans joined in a group hug, all of them smiling. It was a good moment: but good things never last.  
>Suddenly the Titans let go, angry looks plastered on their faces. "How could you?" Cyborg asked, walking away. The other titans followed suit.<p>

"What did I do? Starfire, where are you going?"

Starfire looked back at her, disappointed. "You left us. For him." Raven reached her hand out to touch her but she disappeared.

She could feel herself spiralling downwards, refraining from screaming. Her eyes opened. She found herself planted in the Towers' Communications room. Raven looked on in horror. Down below and in front of her were the mangled bodies of her friends.

"No!" Raven screamed, bolting up from her bed. She looked around frantically, not noticing Slade. The unfamiliar surroundings scared her.

"Relax, Raven." She jumped, finally noticing Slade, who was by her left side.

"Slade!" she yelled. She flung herself at the door, before realising it was locked and instead clawing at the walls. "Let me out!" Raven gasped for air, hyperventilating.

Slade stared at her before pinning her to the wall. She immediately struggled, not managing to break from the constricting grip.

"Calm down," he ordered. "Take a deep breath and think. Think of what has happened. You took a nasty fall. Just recover your memories. I won't attack you. And, quiet. It's only three am."

Raven sunk to the floor and closed her eyes, her two hands holding her head. The memories flooded back. "Two days, no titans..." she sighed "Where am I? What happened? I was moving that tree then I'm here?" Slade sat down on the edge of a bed, still staring at Raven.

"We are in a temple within 'The Realm Of Fate'. I walked in, carrying you, and a priest told how Fate brought us here, like everyone else. We shall meet a precognitive person once they are awake and they will help us to leave. They told me Fate is leading our lives."

Raven just nodded. "Goodnight, then." Slade seemed to sleep again rather easily, while Raven laid thinking on the floor. Eventually she drifted off though.

When Raven woke in shock yet again she didn't expect for it to be Slade to be shaking her, rather roughly at that. "Wake up, Raven. We have to get ready. It's time to see Faye."

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><p><strong>Well there you have it, brought to you by the brains of an English woman, and the laptop of a sizzling Aussie Sausage.<strong>

**Review?**

**Speak soon,**

**SRF and QLF**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello,**

**This is an okay chapter and we admit it isn't our best. It does become hard to think of some of the plot.**  
><strong>We forgot to do the mentions for the last two chapters so we'll do it now. Thanks to:<strong>  
><strong>Gingerstorm101, Blood Dragon XIII, Lust for Life and XLucy0117X. Thanks for reviewing, reading and adding to favourites or alerts. It means a lot.<strong>  
><strong>To the anonymous reviewer J: Thank you for that constructive criticism. We don't make them aggressive to each other because they are in an alliance so they have to work together. If they fought and were aggressive then it would take them longer to escape the dimension. Plus if it takes all the titans to defeat Slade, how can Raven take him by herself. We'll take your comment and try to improve.<strong>  
><strong>We don't own anything or else Soph would already live in Jump City, along with me! Each of us in Titans Tower too! :P<strong>  
><strong>Anyways, enjoy!<strong>

**p.s from Qweery: Sorry If we missed any body out. A very lazy Sophie didn't check, and poor-ol' Amy, who is the pack leader not only couldn't keep up with all the wonderful emails and faves, and alerts and reviews, but also couldn't control me into doing so myself. So Thank you, and sorry If we missed you out. **  
>-<p>

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Evil, it's a word that's used quite often. Whether it's describing a very twisted thing or an insult to your sibling, it's still thrown around quite a lot. The thought goes through people's heads often and that word, evil, was the very thing repeating itself in both Slade and Ravens minds.  
>The aura within the temple seemed evil, as if the walls seemed to be oozing it. Of course they weren't, it just felt like they were.<br>But Raven and Slade saw no reason to leave, as the people seemed 'kind' enough. They'd given them shelter, hygiene and food. What more necessities could they need?

After the rude awakening from Slade, Raven and he had both prepared to meet with Faye. They each had a relaxing shower, ate a delightful breakfast that filled their stomachs to the brim, and were now following a different priest, Leopold to a hall.

Within the hall there was little to none furniture. Little ornaments and wooden engravings were all plastered into the walls or the ceiling. In the middle of the room were a pedestal and a chair. Both had something on them, and little engraved flowers, looking almost real, were decorating the simple objects. Perched upon the metal pedestal was a crystal ball, like those you see within a movie about a Psychics or Wizards, Slade thought. Raven however thought differently, as she was raised in a more spiritual dimension. Messages and visions could be seen through these crystal balls, and as long as the person wielding it had a strong mind, then visions would be shown to them.  
>Resting upon a cheap-looking wooden chair was a woman, presumably Faye. The woman was deathly pale, resembling a ghost. Her eyes bulged behind round black glasses while her body sagged behind red robes. Ginger hair was messily splayed across her head, and on her lap was a book, but it was neatly folded, resting. The woman was seemingly lost in thought, oblivious to the fact that someone had stepped into her room.<br>After a few awkward minutes, the woman stood up, craned her neck, and  
>smiled crookedly. "Hello, I'm Faye! I know of your fate because Fate told us, herself. I welcome you here like the many others. Now, be patient, because all shall be revealed soon and just know I am not permitted to answer any questions. Just know your fate will be unexpected and grand. It will be, Absolute. It will be, Amazing." Faye smirked, laughing slightly- she seemed to be keeping a joke from Slade and Raven. Her eyes lit up devilishly, and once again smiling she pointed her twig-like finger toward the group. "Priest, lock the doors," she commanded. Slade and Raven looked on in confusion. "Don't worry, it's for... Privacy. Follow me." As the door they entered through closed, another opened as a panel in the wall slid away.<p>

Slade and Raven stood close as they followed. Something didn't feel right. The metal walls shone in certain spots and when Slade rested his palm on them, not only did they glow, but strange warmth accumulated. He suspected a fire was near. His suspicions proved true.

They walked into a round room with a pit in the centre, filled with a blazing inferno and magma deep within a locked chamber. Slade now suspected that the 'mountains' they were on, were very much different rocks. The flames danced around the small pit, small bursts of the blaze shot out of the hole. Warm yellows, gold's, and reds lit up the room. Even the 'deathly pale' Faye, seemed to be a dark orange. Slade had already begun to sweat.  
>They were on a volcano. Both sorceress and criminal moved closer together, in both fear and wonder. They didn't hear a small creak under their legs, as the roaring lava boomed in the background, nor did they feel it. "This is the main volcano we are built over. That pit is quite deep and quite a fall." Raven raised an eyebrow "Why are you telling us this?" Faye chuckled and gave a small wave before the ground under the pair cracked, then it gave way underneath Raven and Slade.<br>They tumbled into it. However, as they approached the lava, Raven smiled before beckoning to Slade.  
>While that was happening, above ground and the lava ditch, Faye giggled like a mad man and hobbled away. A sudden sound came to her ears. It was a malicious laugh, mocking her. She turned angrily, seeing nothing. Slades voice came. "You really thought you could beat us. How adorable." Faye's eyes darted across the cavern. "Well, think again," Raven taunted. Black energy swirled on the floor and the duo appeared.<br>The woman turned to run, but, using his heightened senses, Slade grabbed the woman's neck, squeezing it. "Please..." she spluttered, begging. Slade reeled in disgust. "Pathetic, that's what your life is. Look at you now, pleading for life. All for the sake of your 'God'." Slade and Raven stared at each other before Slade spoke again. "Farewell, as I finish your pitiful life. But really, your plot needs to improve significantly. Volcano deaths are much too... predictable." Faye's eyes widened as her neck was beginning to snap. Her body became weak, the world she knew was beginning to grow dark. "STOP!" That was Raven. The woman felt herself drop, but the fall was merely a few centimetres. She heard a chant of words she couldn't comprehend, and then she saw nothing.  
>"Meet me at the entrance," Raven growled. Enveloping herself in black energy she left, leaving a slightly angry Slade to take the exit door off its hinges.<br>Raven went through various rooms until she reached a tiled room with many cupboards- the kitchen, supposedly. Inside it however was another priest. His eyes widened in shock, most likely surprised that she wasn't dead. He certainly didn't expect a request. "Give me all the food you have. Or else," she threatened. The priest hurriedly grabbed a small haversack, and was stopped by Raven. The man jumped with fear. She didn't seem affected, muttering an old spell from Azar and charmed the little sack. It made the bag able to fit in more objects, and in basic words, like a empty sub-dimension. The priest then practically threw supplies into the bag, trembling. Packaged food, bottled water and blankets were in the mix. Raven thanked him before chanting. He also blacked out. She looked for the exit.

Meanwhile, Slade leisurely strode through the temple and was headed for the exit, mulling over what Raven had done. "Silly girl, does she really think saving people's lives will help her? People are unde..." Suddenly, he stopped and smirked beneath his mask. "Now now, there's no need to hide," he mocked the priests "Your so called Fate has foretold your deaths. Don't worry, it'll be quick and painless, and all you have to do is surrender." Three nervous priests surrounded Slade, each holding a wooden spear. He himself opened his retractable bo-staff and twirled it. "So, you want to do it the noble way, how very heroic of you. It just adds to the pleasure of your downfall." Two of the priests launched at him, both letting anger blind them, with their spears pointed and raised. Slade gave a round house kick that sent the first into the wall. He walked over to the fallen man, and grabbed his spear, before stabbing it through the man's heart. For the second man, he snatched the spear from priest and effectively pinned him to the wall. Slades palm tightly enclosed the mans neck before breaking it. He his turned to the last oncoming priest, with his fist raised, he was ready. But as the man came a sudden blue boot shot out and kicked the priest into the wall, unconscious.  
>"You don't have to kill them, Slade. I stopped you already, and don't think, just because we're in an alliance, I won't do anything I can to make sure I stay a Titan. I fight for the good. Justice. That means I don't kill people. And to be quite frank, I don't want to waste water getting blood off my hands." Slade turned unaffected, to face her. "My dear, not every place is as friendly as Jump City. In this world, it's kill or be killed. The truth is harsh, isn't it?"<br>Raven nodded, still standing her ground. In an argument with Slade, chances were, you'd lose, so, keeping her opinions bottled up, she reached into the haversack that was slung over her aching shoulder. Her arm seemed to disappear before coming back holding a piece of paper. "I've got a map of the dimension. There's barely anything on it though. I think we are headed for the Portals. It's... exactly on the other side. We have to go through the whole dimension." Raven gave a tired moan at the distance, as they'd have to travel for a long time. Slade looked over at their destination that was far away. It was tiny from where they were, like a faint purple dot. He too gave a dull groan.  
>Raven gazed steadily below her before her violet eyes landed on a small site with trees scattered randomly across it. Closing her eyes, she materialised at the area she had focused on. Slade glared at her, leaping effortlessly onto the hard ground. He landed beside her. "It's best if we set up camp, it's getting dark." What Raven was saying was entirely true, as the rainbow sky became lilac and was still darkening. She got a sense of Déjà vu as she made a pile of tree trunks and extra plants. Slade lit it up using the same small lighter he had before and the pile of foliage burst into warm flames. Dumping the haversack roughly onto the floor, two woollen blankets were retrieved along with a box of leftover sandwiches and two bottles of water. Slade and Raven both sat close, each on their own blanket. A pale hand and a gloved one both quietly reached into the box of food and they hungrily devoured it all, then their parched throats chugged the water down too. Once done, the box and the bottles were added to the pile of burning things. Raven leant back on her blanket, lying on it. "Will we ever get out of this place?" She muttered it, almost meaning for it to be rhetorical but got an answer never the less. "It depends on how much effort you are going to be willing to use. It's going to be as hard as getting Robin to be my apprentice," he said, attempting a joke. Raven smiled slightly, still looking emotionless. "That's impossible, he wouldn't leave us. Especially Starfire." Slade scoffed at the comment.<br>"I'd be careful, Raven. If I didn't know any better than I'd say you were jealous."  
>Raven's cheeks were tinted pink, and her smile grew a little. "I'm not jealous of anyone," she monotoned "In fact, it's you who should envy how you can never defeat us." A smirk was planted behind the mask of a mastermind. "Then how come you can never capture me?" To this Raven opened her mouth but no sound was made. Sensing defeat, Slade lay back on his blanket, probably entering the world of dreams. Raven looked at him for a few seconds before closing her eyes and falling asleep.<br>Once her heavy breathing was heard, Slade opened his lone eye and smirked.  
><strong><br>Well, there it is.  
>Please review!<br>Thanks from:  
>Qweerlittlefish and SladeRavenFan. Better known as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.<br>:D  
>XX<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Yo!**

**This is qweer here, just wanting to give you a taddle of informatique before we carry on with our story; CHAPTER 1 HAS BEEN UPDATED ONCE MORE. IT HAS BEEN REVAMPED. MISTAKES HAVE BEEN FIXED. CHECK IT OUT!**

**Anyways, Thanks to:  
>ravenkakashiluv26, DiminjaWilloIs, KittyKuddler14896, Angelic Toaster, XLucy0117X <strong>

******Also Thanks for those wonderful ideas from some reviews and PM's, they helped this chapter today. **

**Oh, and Before you sue us, take a moment to think. Do you really think two teenagers would own a cartoon? Do you really think we have billions to pay you back for using your characters? Do we own hover-cars? Yup. Exactly, so what would be the point in suing us? If we owned Teen Titans...well...we don't.**

**Enjoy...**

**Chapter 5**

Slade awoke slowly, his body still begging him for more sleep. He didn't bother to open his eyes, still resting. A sound came to his ears. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metri...," It was Raven softly chanting, meditating a few feet above ground, in the lotus position. Slade sat up and turned his head to watch her. Raven didn't move from her pose. He groaned slightly. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," still chanting, as though the worlds were part of her daily routine. Slade wasn't amused and definitely didn't look like he was. "What about your night, was it a restless sleep? Or perhaps, another nightmare?" Raven opened one eye to look at him, before shutting it. Her eyebrow was raised. "Not at all, Slade. I couldn't sleep so I thought I should meditate. I've already eaten."  
>After hearing her speak, he stood and reached into the haversack, pulling out a cereal bar. After tearing the packaging, he started eating the bar. He was finished within a short while. Raven sighed, standing up. "What's wrong, Raven? Are you not enjoying my company?" Raven turned to face him. "Although your company has many 'perks', I'm afraid that I'm not," she deadpanned, sarcasm dripping. "Then since you don't enjoy my company, you don't enjoy the Titans'." Ravens eyes narrowed, tired of it all. "Just leave them out of this; the TITANS have nothing to do with anything." Slade yet again, like with most things, was unperturbed. "My dear, they brought themselves into it. Realise it before you believe the lies you tell yourself." Raven just shook her head, pacing away, sighing. While she was doing that, the haversack became covered in black energy, with discarded objects being thrown back in. The sack was slung over her shoulder. Slade just followed along.<br>"We'd best get started, if anything," Raven stated, opening the map. "We should go south, through the mountains to reach the other side." Slade merely nodded, as an assumed approval. She spied a small steep slope, which she deemed would suffice as a starting point. Walking steadily towards it, Slade followed almost like a child does to a mother, when shopping. He was sulking for whatever reason he had deemed to be correct. Surrounding them were towering mountains and trees almost as high as the mountains themselves. The sky still showed through though, with its multiple colours. "Hiking? Quite an easy sport, if I may say so myself," Slade commented, he seemed to hold onto the words, as if they were precious to him. "Says the man who prefers living in abandoned warehouses and helping end the world," Raven quipped. Slade smirked, he did have a thing for rundown buildings, and you could gather that from previous battles. They held a strange atmosphere. He also noticed that something was wrong with Ravens statement- he had never really wanted to finish the world, and Raven herself had played a key part in it either way, but, he decided to keep his mouth shut. He shrugged, bringing his broad shoulders up. Raven was about to say something, to clarify her victory, but was stopped. She heard something like a low growl. Her lips twisted upwards. "Hungry, Slade?" In response, Slade held out his hand, signalling to stop. She obliged, becoming serious.  
>Her ears picked up on the slightest patter of footsteps, before a silence came again. The air whistled slightly behind her. With the flick of her wrist, she sent a shadow beam towards it. A howl was heard, before the beast fell to the ground, unconscious. She turned to look at it. A terrifying creature, it was. Covered in purple fur, it had six legs and one eyeball, stuck to what looked like a sun-flower seed head. Raven turned away in slight disgust. "Seems as if he's brought friends," she told Slade. He sunk into a stance, preparing. "No killing, Slade. They are just the same as animals!" Slade didn't approve of that, adding his own sarcasm, "Albeit the fact they're out for blood. Raven, when Robin tells me to surrender do I? When you send me a command do I have to obey?" Slade was almost mocking her, in fact, he was. Raven scowled and Slade's chuckled.<br>Ten more of the creatures came out, frothing mouths and bulging veins. Slade watched as a speck of the saliva hit him. It burned through a hole of his shoe, acid, he confirmed. Raven watched the situation with interest, as the creatures closed in. She summoned her powers and covered a nearby tree with them. It collided into four of them, knocking them away. The rest all spat at the same time, acid aimed at Slade. It was just about to hit, but a black shield saved him. "You owe me, Slade." She received no reply. At her speech, they turned to her, and leapt. She backed up into Slade and their backs connected. They were literally watching each-others back. "Step away," Slade ordered, holding a knockout bomb. Raven raised an eyebrow, realising what he was going to do. "No! Don't!" It was too late and the smoke emitted from the bomb, the six beasts dropping like flies into honey. The bomb continued to hiss, gas escaping. Raven coughed slightly, becoming light headed. She fought sleep, barely succeeding. Her drooping eyes glared at Slade, while he didn't even react. "I warned you, Raven." She just shook her head, too tired to fight. Slade took the lead, walking ahead. Raven lost him behind a tree, wiping her eyes. Slade stepped began to step across a large trail of almost yellow mud. Raven instantly looked his way, wanting to scream out, but he was already sinking fast.

"Quick sand!" Raven stated, stopping where she stood, now wide awake. Slade began to sink and Raven began to panic. "No, no, no! What should I do?" She began to curse, muttering words. Slade seemed calmer than her, now waist deep in the sand. "Tsk tsk, Raven. Language like that is improper for a young lady. Grab the rope from the sack and I'll pull myself out. And Raven," he called, making her eyes meet his, "Don't panic." Even in this situation, Raven could tell he was smirking. She followed his instructions and he grabbed the rope, then she sprinted back, tying it to the thickest plant she could. She began to tug on the rope. "No!" Slade's arms fell under the sand and he sank even further. Raven's emotions yelled at her, saying nothing of importance. Even Intelligence had nothing to say. It was hopeless now, as the sand poured through the vents in Slade's mask. His head disappeared, swallowed by the sand.  
>Raven placed her hand on her forehead then ran it through her sweat soaked hair. She decided on a plan of action. Dropping the haversack, she jumped into the quick sand, and sunk into a whole new experience, if it wasn't one already.<p>

**Okay dokey. There we go! Chapter 5!**

**Please review guys? We really appreciate nudges into the right direction!**

**Qweer and SRF! XXxxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hiya,**  
><strong>And we are back again. We have to warn you though, this chapter was rushed; Been neck deep in homework and exams. Hopefully, a better chapter will be next week. Thanks : ravenkakashiluv26, Dkaraly, Gingerstorm101 and Blood Dragon XIII. We absolutely love reviews, so we appreciate when you give them.<strong>  
><strong>Anyways,<strong>  
><strong>Enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter six<p>

Dirty green water flooded over Raven as she sunk into the deep abyss within the quicksand .Her eyes were tightly shut and she seemed to lose track of reality, while drifting upwards slightly. Her thoughts swam in her head, one of them being the all too familiar mask on Slade. Her eyes shot open and she looked around, but the man in thought was nowhere to be seen. She choked on the murky water, running out of breath. Waving her arms and kicking her legs frantically, she swam to the surface. Raven could swim, as it was required to be a Titan, but she was by no means the strongest swimmer. And although she would never say, she hated water. With a passion. She hated the coldness that came across her as she swam, the almost sliminess of the liquid. She hated that it always seemed to be too cold, or too hot. She had always had a fear of drowning. She panicked as the swamp-like substance kept pushing her down, struggling to keep her head up, she kept swallowing the water, the sensation was of eating flames, and the taste was of cod-liver oil. She shuddered, and kept swimming. She saw light above her, and once her head reached the surface, she spluttered and coughed, the water in her lungs coming out her mouth. She gulped in mouthfuls of air, relief evident on her face. "Slade!" she called out, hearing no immediate response. She sighed, clinging onto nearby debris. Where are you? She thought. Already physically exhausted, she swam to the closest land she could find. Lying on the ground, she cast her soul-self out of her body; leaving her physical form to lay lifeless.

Meanwhile, Slade was still walking, a little ways off from Raven. He'd already come back, recovering the sack and Raven's discarded cloak. He'd also already realised Raven might have went under, to search for him. Before, when he was swallowed by the sand, the water washed it all out of his mask and off of his clothing. Using his defined muscles, he'd swam to the surface, recovered the sack and was now walking forward. This time though, Slade had remembered to jump over the sand. Now, since he'd done what he needed to do, his task was to find the cloaked sorceress. But, the sky was turning indigo, as nightfall was coming. The colour of the sky reminded him of her hair. As he became tired and hungry, he sat down under a tree and was hidden from view.

Raven however, once her soul-self was released, flew around the dark canvas of the night sky. She couldn't see anything, it was dimming and her energy was fading slowly. In one last bout of her waning supply of it, her soul-self emitted as her bird form, towering above all. She screeched, screaming for help, screaming for the Titans and screaming for Slade. It quickly dissipated though, and she returned to her physical body, falling into a dreamless rest.

Slade almost tripped at the screech, dropping his jaw at the sight of the black bird. The sound came as a shock compared to the silence of the forest. It was undoubtedly Raven. He was impressed, and thankful she had revealed her location. It saved him from more work.

Standing up then brushing himself off, he headed for where it was. It wasn't necessarily far away, and the black bird soon disappeared. He got a torch out of the haversack, and it lit up, enabling better sight. After walking for what seemed an eternity, but was actually only minutes, he spotted the familiar pale skin of Raven. It was obvious she was unconscious and wet from the water. Even though she was out cold, Slade quite clearly pictured a wet cat in her place. Dripping with water, looking very sorrowful and embrassased, he also noticed she was shaking. He draped her cloak around her, touching her freezing skin. The colour was drained out of Ravens skin, and she looked as white as a sheet of newly fallen snow. Slade needed to warm her up, as the titans would not take well to a deceased Titan, especially if their knowledge was of the fact that they had been the last to be seen together. Also, it wouldn't be good on his conscience. He walked over to tall plants, and tore them off the ground. Lighting them all, he watched them erupt into a blazing, but controlled fire. For once, he was glad he wore black, as he'd warm up faster.

Slade stood and picked up the sorceress' limp body. She squirmed but sank into the warmth coming from him. He chuckled lightly, laughing at her antics. "Quite amusing indeed," he muttered. He placed her close to the fire and let her lay on a blanket. He quickly reached for a cereal bar, and devoured it whole. Once he escaped, he'd be more appreciative of Wintergreen's expert culinary skills. That is, if he escaped.

Raven came closer to consciousness and her jaw tightened, her eyes fluttering open. "Glad you're awake, Raven." She sat up, nodding as a response. She moved away slowly, annoyed that he was watching her sleep. "How'd you find me? Did you get the signal?" He mimicked her, his head going up and down.

"Quite impressive indeed, it was quite the display." He chuckled, which sounded deep and throaty. Raven shook her head, disagreeing, and stood shakily. She realised it was the beginning of the night, as darkening purple took over the whole sky. It quite reminded her of herself. Raven wondered whether the titans still thought of her, knowing them, they'd probably be trying to get her out. She continued to reminisce on more complex related events.

Slade watched her seemingly absorbed in thought, her eyes stuck to the sky. With his firm grip, he tapped her shoulder. Raven's head shook as though to wake up and she turned her amethyst eyes to him. Her face showed hints of irritation, since she didn't like to be disturbed. "Are you hungry?" Raven was about to say decline nourishment, but her stomach disagreed. She nodded. Slade reached into the bag, pulling out a slab of meat and a pan. Holding it over the fire, he stood there, watching Raven.

The person of his interest: Raven, looked far into the distance, hearing sounds from the forest. She jumped when she heard Slade's chilling voice. That was quickly ended though, as she composed herself. "Darkness there, and nothing more." She turned to him, looking on in slight curiosity. "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,  
>Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before." Slade continued, not at all shocked. "But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token." Raven stepped closer to him, her lips holding the shadow of the smirk, unnoticeable by everyone but Slade, as he was watching. "The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe? You've read it?" He nodded and Raven felt a surge of excitement, which she wondered why she received. Everyone else didn't bother, Robin was busy, Beastboy would rather play games- and in some ways she wondered if he could even read, Cyborg had to work on the T-Car and Starfire couldn't understand the complex writings. It was nice to know someone else read it. "You do know, Raven, that villains don't spend all their time on scheming dominance over the world. Not to mention, indulging yourself in intelligent material is quite pleasurable really." Raven was now smiling, albeit it being small. It was barely noticeable, like an up-twist of her lips. "I agree, it's like an escape from reality," Raven quietly said, she didn't elaborate, as Slade had expected. She sat down near the fire and Slade handed her a stick with the cooked meat on it. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Raven asked him, while chewing on the meat. It wasn't a bad meal, but it wasn't gourmet either.<p>

"Well, since we're in an alliance, we aren't exactly enemies, are we? At the moment, Raven, you've earned it. You've given respect, which is what I'll return." She nodded, still in disbelief. If they had to be uncivilised, it could cause a nearly impossible chance to escape, not to mention, arguing could cause loss of control. The meal was eaten in silence, which both villain and hero enjoyed. Raven appreciated the lack of unnecessary chatter, without anything disturbances. Slade also appreciated the absence of useless conversation, about things that needn't be discussed. The only sounds heard were their chews and the naturally caused noises within their surroundings.

Nearing the last bite of her meal, Raven suddenly stopped, dropping the meat in her hands. Her world twirled and her stomach churned. A wave of nausea overcame her. Slade stared at her, wondering what the problem was. "What's wrong, Raven?" She didn't respond, hand held high on her forehead. Raven stood and ran over to the bushes, collapsing on her knees. Slade followed, and squatted behind her small form. Placing one arm around her hair, to keep it from falling in front of her face, he placed the other to support her, incase she fell. He knew what she was going to do. Raven heaved as hard as she could, and dirty water poured out of her mouth. Coughing and choking, she felt the water empty from her lungs. Her face was covered in perspiration and she wiped it away with her sleeve. "Feeling better?" Slade questioned, still there. She nodded and stood weakly. Her legs shook with every step and in the end, Slade had to catch her when she slipped. Once she reached her blanket, Raven literally fell upon it. Her face was flushed from exhaustion, but barely showed with her pale complexion.

She decided to sleep away the now mild discomfort in her chest, while Slade also decided to sleep. Their eyes closed, and they both fell into their subconscious' thoughts.

-  
><strong>Thanks for reading. And please review! It really means a lot.<strong>

**Big thanks from,**  
><strong>SRF and QLF<strong>

**P.S Any ideas for the next chapter? Strictly no romance, not guaranteed that ideas will definitely be used.**

**P.P.S Sorry for the lateness of the chapter. Qweer very much apologises for her disorganisation and strange addiction to computers other than the laptop used for writing the story. Please, don't leave us!**

**What are our readers doing for Christmas?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Heya Guys...**

**In Christmas spirits we have a joyous song and disclaimer for u...mashed up!**

**Jingle BELLS! Jingle BELLS! Jingle all the way! / All we want for Christmas is to not get sued for writing this story/ walking in a winter wonderland.**

**There may not be snow in Australia, but Qweer has a mighty ho, ho, ho, does she not?**

**Enjoy a wonderfully tailored and hard worked on chapter, who poor little SRF spent all her time trying to incorporate constructive criticism and ideas from. **

**We've got two chapters lined up this week, so you're lucky. Please find time to review them both. Thanks to XLucy0117X, The Imperfect Me, ravenkakashiluv26, The Amethyst Eyes, Lust for life. Your reviews and advice mean a lot.**

**Next chapter will be up on Saturday, so look forward to it!**

**Merry Christmas, and a happy new year!**

Chapter Seven

Something was wrong, you could just feel it in the air. A nervous feeling engulfed both Slade and Raven.

They didn't need to speak to confirm the looming emotion.  
>Nevertheless, someone had to point it out. "What's wrong, Raven?"<p>

Slade almost seemed as if he were mocking her, although knowing him, he probably was.

She wasn't mocking him though. "Something's wrong. I don't know what it is or why but I just, I just know something is. I can feel it."

Slade turned serious. "I can feel it too. I don't know what it is, but, I'd say we keep on our guard. Expect the unexpected, as it's said."

At this, Raven groaned. "I hate surprises. You don't know whether they're good or bad." It was true, part of the reason that she hadn't taken well to her surprise birthday party, not including the whole prophecy.

He chuckled. "You also don't like the anticipation with the anxiety."

Raven half-nodded and half-shook her head. "I'm not afraid, if that's what you were implying."

She could practically see his eyebrow be raised, without having to look. "I'm sure."

She returned the look. "I am. But, how can you do that, Slade? I can't feel any emotion from you; it's just as if you're dead, which I don't doubt."

Slade was unaffected. "Child, I may be dead, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't control my emotions. That's important. If you stay in control of your emotions, you'll stay in control of the situation."

She nodded. "Like you always are, in control. Look, you just make it seem so easy, as though there is no effort used."

Slade scoffed. "There isn't. And as I said, child, you are young, still learning. The Titans are merely making your control worse."

"I'm not a child, Slade," Raven hissed, not commenting about his other remark, as an attempt to keep her own emotions in control.

"But you are, Raven. You're mature, I admit, but you're still a child." She was hurt, but still took a stoic face.

"And you're an egotistical, cold, heartless beast..."

Slade was unaffected."Shall we move on, now that you've had your little pout? If you'd like to show you aren't a child then act like it. Be in control, Raven. Prove it to me. It should become an almost second nature."

She nodded, cheeks tinted, face downcast. He lifted his hand, and gently tilted her face to look at his.

"I'm impressed at you, Raven, but remember, you grow up in time. Be patient. Everything you want will come if you wait." She sniffled, but she kept her composure. He released her chin. She quickly looked away from him, the feeling of anger rising...and falling within her. Time seemed to last forever in the minutes of silence left between them.

"I suppose we should g.." He was interrupted, as Raven pulled a minuscule dart out of her neck. Her eyes widened once she realised what it was. She dropped the dart, her eyesight becoming gloomy and dizzy, while she swooned. Slade grabbed her upper-arm, keeping her upright and she stared into his eyes. He could see the worry in Raven's eyes, and he felt as though she was staring into his soul. It was quickly ended. Her eyelids snapped shut and her body became limp. It was held like a rag doll, by Slade's tight grip.

Slade felt a small nip at his skin. Another dart had penetrated him, similar to the one that had got Raven,letting the sedative flood his veins. He shook his head, and dropped Raven's body. It fell with a soft thud to the floor. Within a minute, Slade too, fell to the floor, succumbing to the strong chemical. Two pair of eyes stared over them, before securing them into a sturdy net and dragging them away.

It was dark. And cold. That's what first registered into Slade's still slightly clouded mind. For a few minutes, he lay there motionless, keeping his lone eye closed. He didn't feel like getting up, he felt like laying there for his whole life. But reality jerked him to become fully awake, and he sat up. Metal clinked and hit his head. For once, he was glad he wore his mask. Without it, that would have hurt. He opened his eye. He had hit a bed pole. It was a bunk bed, but that didn't matter to him. Him, Slade Wilson, had hit his head on a bed pole. He scoffed, and found himself lucky that no one saw.

He surveyed the room. There wasn't much to see. Two beds, both were stacked and pressed against the wall. He was on the bottom bunk, sprawled upon it. There was a toilet in the corner, and a tap that acted as a shower. There were four metallic walls, with a door on the opposite wall to the bunk beds. The door was most definitely locked with a closed window on it.

"A jail cell," a monotone voice said above him. While surveying the room, he had forgotten the other occupant.

Raven jumped off the top bunk, landing in front of him. "I've been awake a while. There's no way out. Listen, before a man came through and convicted us of damaging some of their property. I guess they'll tell us more later. But I guess now, we're in jail." Her eyes were smiling, as though it all were a bad joke.

"Raven, can't you just rip the door off its hinges?" The person in question turned around, and showed a metal ring tightly bound across her neck.

"Power clampers. I haven't got any now. There's no seams, and I can't break it."

Slade nodded, taking in the information. "Let me see it." She complied, and turned. He placed his hands on the collar, and Raven fought shivers. He examined it for moments, checking everything.

"You're right. Extremely well designed, I've got mechanisms like this on the Sladebots. Perhaps before their moment of death, we can discuss it."

Raven rolled her eyes. "How do you know they'll die? I'll be there to make sure the minimal amount of death ensues. Anyways, it's night. We'd best get to bed."

He noticed that she said minimal. That meant she didn't doubt that there would still be deaths. He smirked.

Slade nodded, agreeing. Both weren't bothered about their rumbling stomachs. Raven climbed back to the top bunk, while Slade lay down on his bottom bunk. "Goodnight, Raven, Pleasant dreams." She found it trivial. Good dreams were barely her. Mostly it she slept with an empty void in her mind. Sometimes it filled with her emotions, or memories of the day, sometimes her father sent nightmares to haunt her. She laughed inwardly. Is that what it came to? Slade wishing her a goodnight.

Raven placed the thin cover over her body. It was still cold. Taking off her cloak, she draped it over her front.

Slade also was uncomfortable. He usually would've taken off his mask by now, but he wasn't going to compromise. He would deal. He didn't go under the covers; just lay on them, staring at what was above him. He closed his eye. Raven closed hers.

Slade cleared his throat, getting the attention he wanted.

Raven spoke, with a hint of irritation held in her voice. "What?"

He opened his eye. "I believe you forgot something."

Raven didn't respond, which Slade took as a misunderstanding.

"When one bids another a goodnight, it's returned. I thought I deserved it," he said, almost demanding.

His response was unexpected, and surprised even him. Raven was laughing, chuckling softly and quietly, though it was still heard.

Slade narrowed his only eye. "Did I miss the joke?"

"No, sorry. It's just so trivial, you know. I've been thinking that all day. I mean, we're in jail. Jail! Plus, a hero and a villain, working together."  
>Slade smiled, and he felt the whole idea to be mad, the mess they were in- it was crazy! The days were getting to them. They both laughed now, sharing the bad joke.<br>"I can see what you mean. It's unbelievable. We're talking and laughing, with no glares either way. Strange isn't it, we're like old friends."

Raven froze, and Slade could sense her hesitation. Friends. Friends? They were enemies; she swore to protect people from people like him! "Listen, Slade. We're enemies, both on the different sides of the law, the line between hero and villain. We can't be 'friends', it wouldn't fit."

She sighed, and he could feel her stress. Her monotone voice crept down in volume. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it come to this."

Slade didn't say anything, but Raven knew he understood. And he really did. Raven was still young, as he'd said. Still naive, unexperienced. She still didn't know there wasn't a line between good and bad, she wasn't aware of grey in-between the black and white of the world.

She needed to know people did everything for their own benefit, and it was useless saving people who wouldn't even appreciate it. People went and did things that suited them, and didn't do it because of the law. People were selfish. When she realised that, then that was when she had matured and when she saw that the world couldn't, and wasn't like Jump City. It wasn't the fake hero like place she grew up in.

Raven probably felt torn with inner conflict, he guessed. She was going against some of the things that made up her life, her teachings. She probably felt confused, and unsure of what to do.

Slade remembered when he threatened her, to tell them about her destiny. The prophecy. The look on her face, sudden worry, the trapped feeling of not knowing what to do. It reminded him of a lost puppy. It also reminded him of Joey's face when they sli...

He quickly rid himself of the thoughts. It'd all be fixed soon though, he hoped.

He'd make sure of it.

**The chapter is over. But fear not fellow readers, for SRF and QLF are NOT doing anything over the holidays! WBU?**

**Okay, no romance, but if u have any ideas we'll try and incorporate as many as possible.**

**MERRY X-MAS**

**SRF and QLF.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Raven and Slade's Christmas.**

**Hiya,  
>How are our lovely readers and reviewers? Sorry, but it isn't going to be a romance. The story's heading where it's heading. We don't know where that is though. This is all on a whim!<strong>

**Anyways, since it's Christmas soon , we should give a longer thanks.**

**The Imperfect Me: thanks for reviewing every chapter. It means a lot. You look at every detail of the work we put in, and it's great. You comment on all the little things most people just ignore and bother to take in all the text and the implications. You give us constructive criticism and tell us how to improve and when we have. That's what a progressing author needs. Thanks so much for that!**

**Gingerstorm101: thanks for every single review you've given. They're refreshing and amusing! Sorry that there's no romance, but it'll still be centric on Slade and Raven. You telling us to update is partially why we do. Thanks!**

**Lust for Life: thanks for your reviews! Sorry, but it's not going to be romance. It's almost set in stone. But don't worry, they'll be good moments between them. Thanks for all your encouraging reviews.**

**The Amethyst Eyes: thanks for all your reviews. Plus, you've taught SRF how to spell amethyst. We appreciate how you give views on what you think they are, and you have good ideas. It's good to know you think this story's good because it's taken effort and time. Thanks again.**

**ravenkakashiluv26: Thanks for every review. Thanks for all the ideas and reviews, it really does mean a lot. It's also good to know that the gradual change with relationship is working. Thanks!**

**And as to anyone who has ever reviewed (Eagle Wolf05, Lust for Life, Blood Dragon XIII, Angel Toaster, DiminjaWillois, j, WinterYoung, XLucy0117X, KittyKuddler14896, Gingerstorm 101, The Imperfect Me, The Amethyst Eyes, ravenkakashiluv26) thank you so much! It really means the world! Your words have not been wasted on blind eyes! We've taken in all your reviews and appreciate them!**

**Also, to all you readers, thanks for reading our monster of a Fanfic, made by time and effort, plus our brains!**

**Anyways, enough with the thankful rambling, here's the really long chapter!**

**Enjoy: Slade and Raven's Christmas!  
><strong>

Christmas. Well, they could be creative. Make decorations out of a notepad in their sack? A Christmas tree out of a few unfinished food-stuffs- mashing them together until a small spike shows above the clump of snack-bars?

They could give tokens to each other as gifts- to show how close in friendship they've gotten, Raven could give him a button and Slade could take off his mask, it wasn't simple, but they had to find something.

Maybe Raven could find various ways to seem happier, and Slade could go to a bit of trouble to making the holiday special for someone reluctant to celebrate with him.

But really, all they could do, without getting told off by the jail guards, or annoying each other, would be to sit beside one-another, and imagine Christmas back home. Imagine a warm fire place, filled with friends and showy gold's, greens and reds!

Or, instead of making themselves depressed, they could give each other the best gift of all. They could rally up-together, like they had gotten used to doing, and they could escape.

They, however, needed a bit of Christmas cheer, and a cunning plan- which tired minds never seem to be able of creating.

It was Christmas though, and they could afford a day off. They just didn't want to spend it cramped up within a jail cell.

It seemed as though someone knew this, as the hole in the door opened, revealing a bulky and rough man's face at the door.

This man was what one would call a Prison Warden. They say, characters within stories that aren't important, don't deserve a name.

That's the same to this man. No offence of course to him, but he isn't important.

"Prison S and Prisoner R, follow me. It's for the annual Christmas celebration in jail. Try anything, and well, you lose the privilege and you're good as dead."

Slade looked at Raven, begging for trouble, but she shook her head. He vented a sigh. She stoically faced the warden. "Okay. We won't try anything," Raven said slowly. Slade just stared at the man.  
>The warden nodded, and opened the door. Raven was powerless, otherwise she would have agreed with Slade. Being a hindrance wasn't an experience she wanted to have.<p>

They followed him down to a open door, all other exits sealed off, and locked. It must have been the system.

They stepped inside, and the door locked behind them. They refrained from bashing it open again.

The warden explained. "It's nothing special. Just a bigger room you'll spend Christmas in. Enjoy it, and Merry Christmas. You'll find a toilet, a shower and some things to entertain yourself with."He left. "Merry Christmas!" Raven called over her shoulder, half expecting no reply. Manners were something she could still keep. After all, the man had done nothing wrong...and in truth, neither had she.

The room was larger, and they were alone in it. With white walls and secured exits, it was a plain jail 'playroom', of sorts.

Two cheap looking Christmas dinners were laid out, with paper and pencils. Two soft looking chairs also were put out. They both sat in them, sinking into the leather. The four legs creaked under each chair, supporting their weight.

"Merry Christmas, Raven." Raven glared at him.

"Merry Christmas, Slade," she hissed, "It may be Christmas, but remember, it's nothing at all merry."

He stared at her, and his grey eye met her amethyst ones. The windows were the eye to the soul.

Raven looked distant, as if she were somewhere else. Or wanting to be somewhere else. He knew she'd rather be at home with the Titans, and she was probably wondering about what they were doing.

Slade spoke, "I know, there are issues between us. Hero and villain. Not everything is black and white..."

Raven interrupted, glaring. "And there's grey in-between. I already know. I've been told it enough already! I don't need to be told it by you of all people. I understand. Don't underestimate me."

That was another example of her level of maturity, not including her short temper.

"Believe me, I don't. And careful, Raven. You wouldn't want your temper to flare. Anyways, do you want to talk?"

She sighed, in defeat. "I guess so. It doesn't matter about emotion's, this power clamper won't let me make anything explode. We can start after I've had a shower and we've eaten. There's nothing else we can do."

She walked to the shower and toilet, separated by a barrier, for privacy. She was glad for that.

Raven peeled off her cloak, her boots and her leotard. Stepping into the shower, she switched it on. Warm water left tingles on her back and she savoured every second of it. She didn't want to come out, but she had to. She didn't want to face reality.

After a few minutes of rinsing and cleaning, she got out, and draped a towel round her body.  
>She dressed quickly, before stepping out back into the open room.<p>

Slade stepped in straight afterwards, and Raven heard him rush into the shower. (Not after removing his garments, of course)

Once he was out, they dragged the seats to the table and began to eat their lunch. It was a few Brussels sprouts, a thin slice of pinkish turkey, some grey mash and some off-white gravy.

It wasn't bad, compared to their usual cereal bar composed meal. It felt good to have anything cooked to eat, even if it had probably been savoured in a few tins for the past ten years. The meal was eaten in silence, with the frequent but quiet clatter of plastic forks on Styrofoam. They washed the food it down with a cup of water each.

"So," Slade began, starting conversation. "Do you think we're 'low risk' criminals, if we're even allowed in here?"

Raven turned her head away from his lone eye, and gave a small sigh. "Probably."

"I thought you said you were okay with a chat?"

She clenched her fist. "I am. Just there's so many things I could be doing, rather than being here."

Slade knew what she meant. "Like what? Christmas with the titans?" That was exactly the thing.

She didn't answer. He took that as a yes.

They sat there for what felt like hours, but was only minutes. Boredom claimed their minds.

Raven walked over to the paper, and started to write. She was by no means an artist, but she could write instead. It would suffice.

Slade followed her, and craned his head to read it. Raven covered it with her arm, annoyed.

Before Slade could comment, Raven spoke. She just needed to change the subject. "I know we're both bored so, let's talk. What would you rather be doing now?"

He decided to play her game. "I'm quite content in being here, actually. I didn't have any plans. What would you rather be doing?"

Raven was amused. She supposed he would be planning world domination or something else to ruin Christmas.

"I'd rather be at Titans Tower. Robin would be grinning, telling us what to do- his annoying music, booming from the Tower stereo system, would have some sort of Christmas wording to it. Beastboy and Cyborg would be complaining about what Christmas dinner to make...in the end they'd make both, and pile our plates high with tofu turkey...and...Real turkey." Raven paused, smiling at the thought, "Oh and Starfire would be sitting with Robin, flirting, most definitely."

She didn't elaborate because she didn't want to give any more information to Slade then necessary. It could be used as leverage. She could trust him with tit-bits though.

She smiled, seeming happy. Slade looked at her. "And where, Raven, do you fit in?"

"I'd be reading a book, sitting in the corner. I'm perfectly content with just observing."

"But that's not being part of it. That's being an spectator. The member who isn't included."

She wasn't smiling now. "I am included. I just choose not to be sometimes."

Raven turned away. She picked up the pencil and continued to scribble away, sensing that the conversation wasn't headed to the best place.

He stared at her neat, stylised handwriting. "What are you writing?"

She smirked. "If I tell you, then will you go away and do something?"

He nodded and Raven's smirk seemed to grow. "I'm writing about everything that's happened to us. It's quite a lot actually. I just need to remember it all." She laughed nervously.

Slade chuckled, amused. "It has been quite an adventure. And if we get back, I'll be sure to look at you in a different light."

Raven thought that sounded slightly perverted, but knew it wasn't intentional. "Well, I'm not sure if we'll meet again. If we do, I'm not sure how I'll see you."

Silence met them for a while. Raven had a sudden thought. "Slade, what did you want me to see you as?" He was caught off guard but he had an answer, like always.

"We aren't enemies, are we?" She shook her head. No, they weren't.

"We aren't against each-other yet, but we aren't best friends either. We're in an alliance, we've helped each-other. We have different views and motives, different morals though, so no, that doesn't make us enemies." It sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"Never knew you could explain yourself like that, my dear, it was very... meaningful." Her cheeks tinted ever so slightly.

He had changed the subject, like she had. "You didn't answer my question."

He stood up, coming closer to her. "That doesn't matter. But, Raven, I have something I'd like to give you, a Christmas present, of sorts."

She hesitantly held out her hands. He placed something in her hand. She grasped the handle. A knife.

"You had a knife and you didn't tell me! We could've escaped earlier! What else do you have hidden in that pouch and belt?"

"Quiet," he ordered, so they wouldn't draw attention, "I figured to act like I had nothing, so they wouldn't take it away from us. Anyways, we'll escape. What I have hidden in this pouch and belt is none of your business," he retorted.

She nodded. "Well, what are we meant to do with the knife?"

Slade had a plan, as always. "This knife was made out of a meteor, one from Smallville's almost yearly meteor shower. It's roughly indestructible, and should tear through that collar of yours. You break us out; we pick up our sack, and leave. Okay?"

She nodded, again. He walked behind her and took the knife from her hand. Moving carefully, he began to cut it off gingerly.

Raven could feel his warm breath on her neck. She stood still, like a statue. The sound of metal on metal could be heard, till the collar fell to the ground, with a small crash.

He handed her the knife back, and she placed it on her jewel belt, hiding it within her cloak.

Immediately alarms blared. "Prisoner escape! Prisoner Escape! Report to stations! Report to stations! Priso..." It continued to screech.

They ran back to their cell and Raven blasted the door off, literally. Grabbing the sack, they turned around to come face to face with ten burly guards.

"Stop. Put your hands up." Slade rolled his eye. Raven also did. Guns were reloaded, pointed at them.

She was tired, she just wanted to go home. They didn't go all through this to be put in jail again. Grabbing the knife and pulling it out of her belt, the guards shot.

Raven put up a shield, and both found themselves safe. The guards glared. They couldn't care less. Fight or flight, well they didn't need to waste effort.

She stabbed the knife into the wall, and carved a doorway. She kicked it down. The cutting was surprisingly easy. "I like the gift, Slade."

He smirked inwardly. The knife wouldn't be too much to give, since he had plenty more advanced weapons.

Raven grabbed a blanket out of the little haversack, and spread it out of the ground. "Get on, and hold tight onto my waist. Grab the sack too."

He did as he was told, begrudgingly. He could feel her shiver with his arms around her stomach. He was sorely tempted to tickle her, but removed such childish thoughts from his head. Raven used her powers, and dragged the now dirty blanket across the sand, taking them far away from the jail. The wind blew in their face, and she gave the smallest smile.

Once her mind gave the slightest hint of pain, Raven made the blanket skid to a stop at an empty clearing. They'd spend the rest of Christmas night here.

It felt... relaxing for them to be able to have a warm fire to sit around. It was a strange sense of Deja vu. They both exhaled, leaning in to the heat. The sky had darkened considerably. Raven could guess that people back in Jump City were probably having a better time than she was. Perhaps they were partying, or at the fair...or at the beach.

The silence was good sometimes, but she didn't want to be left to her thoughts "So... how did you get the blade?" Slade watched her fiddle with the knife's handle in her hand. It had an intricate pattern of black, with silver lines running through. At the bottom, it had his insignia: the trademark S, carved into it. Raven didn't know what to think, whether she should destroy it or not.

He spoke, "Business meetings. It's quite a story. Why do you ask? I thought you preferred the silence."

Raven didn't mind answering this question. "I do. It's just been too silent lately, and I don't want to keep mulling over my thoughts. We have time, you can tell the story."

Slade nodded. He found it strange for the lonely empath to initiate conversation, and to continue talking too.

"Lex Luthor called me. The Criminal underground is like the JLA, we all meet at times. He wanted me to see if I could search the meteor shower and find out anything about it. I took one to my lair for analysis, but Lex wanted me to deal with the Man of Steel, and though I hate to admit it, I'm sure I couldn't defeat Superman without wasting time.

So, using the meteor, I paid a blacksmith to make it into a knife. It would have been a sword but I decided I have enough of them."

He took the knife, spinning it with ease. "Its' light, compact, almost indestructible, and strong. Quite an impressive knife indeed. It should slice things like butter, shall we say."

He handed it her back, and she continued to fiddle. "Thank you, Slade. Merry Christmas."

Slade could sense her uneasiness with such a phrase, but could understand. "Merry Christmas to you too, Raven. Do you have a gift for me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Erm... not really. How about you can ask me any question, and I'll answer?"

Slade thought this a brave offer. "That seems sufficient. What do you see me as? I know I've asked you before, but you never gave a direct answer."

She seemed hesitant, but she had signed herself up for it. She couldn't back down.

"I see you as a cold, confident criminal. You've done many bad things, knowing the consequences and actually knowing what's good or bad. You're sane, and actually plan and calculate all the possibilities. But you're also cold, uncaring. You don't mind violence, or tearing apart someone's life. You're clever, cunning, indifferent yet caring, fast, logical, sarcastic, and so on. You are determined, and if you want something, you'll try for it. I see you as a man who knows what's good and bad, but doesn't act as it. You aren't necessarily evil; you've just done bad things for certain reasons. I can't judge though, I'm not necessarily the best either...and it's not like I know why you do these things anyways. Maybe you have reasons..."

After she trailed off; everything shrank back to silence, a tranquil, and unperturbed silence. Raven didn't want to believe she had actually spilled it out, but it was a Christmas gift.

She gained back her confidence. "What do you see when you look at me?"

Slade chuckled. "Another question, another day. It's getting late, we'd better rest."

Raven agreed. "It's been an okay Christmas, much better than I'd have thought it would be. Goodnight, Slade."

She fell back at her blanket and glanced at the stars. They always shone so brightly. Maybe they'd lead her home, like they lead the wise men to Jesus.

She couldn't tell. By the time her head turned away from Slade she was asleep.

Slade laughed. The girl really was tiring herself out. "Goodnight, Raven," he whispered, careful to not wake her. He too, fell asleep with a grin on his face.

-

**Thanks for reading! And for the sake of our sanity, Review! Sorry for the crap chapter.**

**Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,**

**SRF and QLF**

**Next chapter: The Titans' views!  
><strong> 


	9. Chapter 9

**Heya**

**Thanks to The Amethyst Eyes, ravenkakashiluv26, XLucy0117X, and Gingerstorm101, The Imperfect Me, and Luna Arashikage.**  
><strong><br>****We'd just like to mention that there aren't any pairings with Raven. You could possibly argue Raven/Robin, or Raven/BB. We don't want that. No Romance was implied in the story...that's not what we wanted from this story...we want an adventure...without the snuggaly boo-boo.**

**Okay guys, we own zilch. Review PLEASE?**

**And most importantly...ENJOY!**

Chapter nine,  
>Titans' view:<p>

Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg were all in the main room, having breakfast.

Christmas, had come and gone. It wasn't the same without Raven, they realised. It felt empty. They always had sensed her presence, just knowing she was there. Without her, it just was not the same. It was like eating a tofu turkey, or kissing under the 'poison ivy'...it just wasn't right, something was obviously missing... a member of their family was Lost.

They had gone to the pizza place, watched a movie and eaten a home-cooked dinner by Cyborg.

They had a good time, but it was mostly just forced smiles and laughs. The Titans had left Raven's presents outside of her room, with fear of entering it.

The tower was normal now, all decorations having been removed; the thousands of twinkling fairy lights turned off, the huge trees removed, and the red-green-white of the tower, replaced by yellow. It had all been for show, and now the demonstration was over, everything was back to routine ordinary...just without a certain member of their team.

"So," Beast Boy started, trying to rid the now common silence, "How do you think she's holding up?"

Everyone looked at the youngest Titan with annoyance for bringing it up, but sympathy for his naïveté. They glanced to the empty chair, as if half expecting for the empath to pop up out of no-where and take the place.

Beast Boy had to admit he missed Raven. He had pranked her, tried to make her laugh, anything to see her smile. He wanted to make her happy. He had acted as the annoying and careless younger brother, to stay optimistic, but he couldn't pull off the facade anymore.

He saw Raven as someone who was emotionless, and felt nothing. She batted people away, she shut herself away, to protect them. She was his sense of realism, giving him an idea of what and how things really were.

Beast Boy wanted to make her feel some sort of happiness. Feel something that gave her joy, made her feel like he had...like she should have felt. He found the whole situation as cryptic. He couldn't find any clue; nor could he find the key to unlocking her emotions. The comic relief of the team found that he was also of no use.

Where was she? Where was the person who he came to for comfort? Where was the empath who could feel what he did? Where was his team-mate...his friend?

He missed her dreary face, her witty remarks, the sarcasm, her being annoyed by him. He even missed the times she yelled at him and threw him out of the many windows of their home with her 'creepy' magic.

Starfire dropped her plate in the sink, walking over to Beast Boy.

"I too, fear for our friend. I hope she will be of the alright."

Starfire was the happy one of the group, grinning all the time. Without Raven, she found that she couldn't even lift up the corner of her mouth.

She walked back to her seat. Emotionally powered, she found she couldn't generate the happiness to fly. For all the missions, she had to stay back in the Tower. She couldn't fight properly if her powers didn't work.

The Warlords of Okara didn't train her for this, to be a weak, emotional fool. Her head drooped. She had to try, for her friend, for herself. If she did, her friend might come back. But she just couldn't.

She missed the only other female in the group, the only other that could also understand her better than the boys could. Where was the person he could spill her feelings to? The girl who had become a sister to her? The only person in the team who had really told Starfire what she felt...and who even after petty fights had still managed to be forced by Starfire to go shopping...even get her nails done! Who was there to be angry at? Seeing all of her friends so depressed, made her feel the same.

She feared for what would become of her. Raven had already gone through enough after The Prophecy.

Cyborg sensing the growing sadness in the room, and forever being mature, stepped in. "Raven will be fine. She's a big girl; she can take care of herself."

He hated seeing all of his friends - no, his family, like this. He was the big brother of the family, offering comfort and cheeriness. And with his little sister gone, he didn't know how to act. He had to occupy himself with cheering up the others.

Now all the other titans were... distracted, he tried to stay the same, for Raven. She wasn't dead, but she wasn't there either. He blamed Slade for wanting the DD, but it's not like Slade had planned it either.

Where was the girl who would always lend him a hand? Where was the girl who assured him? Where was the girl who came to him for comfort?

He hoped what he said was right. It probably was. Well, that's what he told himself, repeating it as though it were a mantra. He remembered Raven's mantra, and missed her saying it.

Cyborg tried to reassure them. "They...she'll be okay. Right, Robin?"

He looked to his teammate with pleading eyes. Robin didn't notice. Cyborg didn't blame him.

Robin nodded his head absentmindedly. "Y..yeah, sure, whatever. I've got to figure this out. We will get Raven back. Don't disturb me unless it's an emergency. You know where to find me." And they did. He locked himself up repeatedly, and the Titans were used to it. It was almost impossible to persuade him to leave.

Robin knew, that as the leader, it was up to him to figure it out. To fix it. He walked into the room he always worked in, the one that he had used to sleep in before Slade had called.

He didn't have time for his emotional friends. He pushed all his feelings away, bottling them up. They wouldn't help him. That's what his friends needed to realise. They couldn't mope forever, it wouldn't bring Raven back.

Where could she be?

He pounded his fists on the table. Why couldn't he do this? It shouldn't be as hard. His fists...no, his whole body ached, but he didn't care. He hadn't slept in days, but he wasn't going to make a big deal of it. If anything, he wouldn't call the JLA, Batman, or any powerful hero organisations- he could do anything and everything himself, or so he thought.

After having many battles against the Hive, Doctor Light, and other 'petty criminals', the Press and other people had realised a Titan was missing. He had told the Press that Raven was on an undercover mission, and couldn't reveal herself. They didn't completely buy it, but it was enough.

Everything was one big... accident. He stared at the wall, at the mask of Slade. He found himself thinking of the criminal mastermind, again. Was it Slade's fault? Unintentionally, Robin admitted, it was.

He wanted to hunt Slade out, so that he'd help them find her. But the problem was, they couldn't even contact him. He resisted the urge to hit the table again, but damaging furniture wouldn't bring her back.

Robin couldn't believe Slade had gone in with Raven, even after watching the security footage. He swore he would kill Slade if he hurt Raven. He wouldn't put it beneath the criminal. He had reassurance though. Raven and Slade were both stuck, together, in the same place, and both needed to escape. Being trained by the world's best detective, he had put the pieces together. Raven and Slade would make an alliance of sorts.

He sighed and shuddered slightly. At least Raven would stay alive. That was the main matter. The second most important thing was: How would they escape?

There were infinite amounts of dimensions, each different in their own way. Some were dangerous, some were safe. Robin hoped she was in the latter. It was just impossible to know which dimension they were in. He hated feeling helpless; he should be able to do something!

He needed to talk to the Titans. They couldn't help her, but they weren't giving up on her either. Robin could depend on Raven to return safely, he just didn't know how he'd tell the Titans that.

Walking back out to the main room, he managed to make all the titans sit on the large, semi circle sofa. He had their attention. The Titans were shocked he came out because he chose to.

Immediately he spoke, guilt consuming him. "Look, guys, I'm sorry. I should have been able to find her; I should have helped you guys and been more sympathetic, I should've..."

Cyborg put up a hand. "We know, man, but it ain't your fault. Don't beat yourself up, 'kay?" Robin nodded, and all the other titans added their opinions on how it wasn't his fault. He smiled, since it felt reassuring to know the Titans supported him. That's what friends were for.

"Thanks guys, now we get to the serious things. There's no possible way we can locate Raven. We can't help her."

Starfire gasped. "You are suggesting we give up on our friend?" Robin looked annoyed, yet pitiful.

"Look, Star, we just can't. If we can't find her, how can we help her?" He was met with silence. They couldn't help her.

Beast Boy chose now to speak, as he had held his tongue before. "Dude, do you think she'll be okay?" Cyborg glared at him.

Robin thought fast, of something that would comfort the youngest on their team. "She will. She can protect herself; she's the strongest on this team. Plus, Slade won't try anything on her, while they're in an alliance. And if he does then Raven will beat him. Remember when the Prophecy happened? She slapped him round like a ragdoll."

The Titans gave a genuine laugh at the joke. "Okay, guys, we can't help Raven, but that doesn't mean we should mope. I know how it feels, but trust me, Raven will come back. And till she does, we should defend our city, be how we should. She's not dead, but Raven would want us still to be doing the right thing, and not worrying over her. She's strong, she'll make it. So, it's movie night, let's get some pizza, and watch some ninja films. Okay?"

All the titans simultaneously responded with approval. They had their spirit back. What he said was right, Raven would return, and they'd wait. They laughed at Beast Boy; "You're right Rob! But we are soooooo watching 'Princess and the Frog' again..."

Starfire flew out the door, content again. Robin was of the right, and friend Raven would return! Everything was good...

Beast Boy whipped out another of his bad, corny jokes, his spirit renewed. He, and Cyborg battled for what pizza they should get. He grinned, happy that it was like old times.

Cyborg sighed. The team wasn't sad anymore, and he felt relieved. He was also glad everyone was their old self again, but he didn't have time to mull it over, as he immersed himself within him and Beast Boy's argument over the snacks and genre of the night.

Robin found himself more relieved than Cyborg. It had worked. He gave a speech and the Titans listened. They understood, they were happier now. A sense of pride welled in his stomach. What he said was the truth, and Raven would return. He just didn't know when, or where, or how, or who helped her and a lot more. He was surprised by the power of words. He realised he shouldn't be thinking, and enjoying himself. Raven could wait till later, as they'd wait for her.

They were a team, and would do anything for her.

-

Raven and Slade had been stuck in the dimension for over a week, yet it felt like forever.

They were around the campfire, dinner having been eaten. Sparks flew around the fire, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The silence was unbearable.

"It's been a week, plus almost a few days more, and we're no closer to escaping. Slade, what if we don't get out?" She said it with a small hint of panic, curiosity and annoyance. What if they never got back to Jump City?

"Patience, Raven. We'll escape. If we didn't escape, well, we'd have to test our skills, which I'm sure wouldn't make itself a challenge. Rest assured, Raven, we'll escape. Stay calm."

She was amazed at how tranquil he was, and it made her calm. Sighing, she nodded. Raven relaxed, back to feeling dull.

"The Titans, do you... think that they're okay?" Raven wasn't really directly asking him, but herself. She expected an answer from Slade though, because he knew she wanted one.

He gave a chuckle. "Raven, Raven, Raven, forever worrying over your friends. I'm sure they're okay, defending the city. It's up to you how you think they're doing. What are you worried about? That they'll forget about you, replace you?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, Slade. I really don't know."  
>He didn't believe that. "Are you sure?" He got no response to that.<p>

Raven remembered a question that lingered in her mind. "What do you see me as?"

He chuckled, which had been a far too common sound recently. "Really, Raven? Your persistence is amusing." He paused, "But, I guess I see you as a girl, with purple hair, two purple eyes..."

Raven smiled, giving him a small playful hit on the shoulder. "I'm serious, I mean personality wise. I was honest with you, it's only fair that..."

He nodded, interrupting. "I know. Raven, you...humour me. You're quiet, mysterious, very mature, naive, short tempered, strong willed and intelligent. You're also powerful, shy, sarcastic and...quite the loner. There's a lot more I could add, but let's leave it at that."

Raven closed her jaw that had fallen open. She was shocked. "You don't... think that I'm weird, or... creepy?" She just had to ask, as the Titan's thought she was creepy and weird, whether they'd admit it or not. She didn't join in with them, didn't always laugh and smile, had a demon father, and was a half demon and so onwards...

"No, Raven. I don't think you're creepy or weird. You're just different, and that's a good thing. However much you do something that changes someone else's opinion of you; you do it for a reason. It doesn't make you weird, or creepy. Why do you ask?"

Raven's smile grew wider. "Oh, nothing... I just wanted to know. Anyways, I'm going to meditate. I don't want to lose control."

Slade agreed, as they probably had more conversation than Raven was used to with him. He could wait, and maybe she'd open up more.

Raven sat in the lotus position, eyes closed. A soft smile stayed on her face. While she chanted her mantra, their conversation played itself in her head.

The same line repeated itself in her head.

"You're just different..."

"And that's a good thing..."

She was different, everyone was. And if they couldn't see it, she was glad that Slade did.

**Thanks for reading guys. Did you all have good holidays?**

**Seems ours have been busy! **

**Did you enjoy? What do you think? Tell us! Review!**

**Soph & Amy salute you. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hiya Readers,**

**'twas a hard chapter to write. Are we really up to Chapter 10? Wow!**

**Thanks to The Amethyst Eyes, Gingerstorm101, sinomin, The Imperfect Me, ravenkakashiluv26, 1Animefreakgurl, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, and XLucy0117X reviewing. We love you all!**

**Well Christmas may be over for most of you, but this fic isn't going to end for a while. This is the halfway chapter.**

**Oh, and for the first scene, what Raven experiences is true. When that happens, and especially against something strong, then it really hurts. It could even cause brain damage, so Raven gets it off lucky. (with no brain damage)**

**Hope you don't mind the caring side of Slade. (he has one, it's true, READ THE COMICS...THE OLD ONES!)**

**We don't own anything other than the awesome plot, and Earth similar dimension...**

**Enjoy**

"Slade, Slade, Slade! Slade, wake up!" Slade really didn't want to wake up, but it was too late anyways, since he had been rattled out of his slumber. He slowly opened his eye. Who was yelling his name? It was... Raven? She was yelling? And his name? He shot up, as fast as possible, and his head collided with Raven's.

"Ow!" the empath grunted in pain, even being flung away from him. It was a strong hit. Naturally, wearing the hard, protective metal mask, Slade wasn't hurt, and the first to recover.

"Are you okay?" Raven shook her head, but stopped, feeling the pain. She didn't notice how strange it was that Slade cared for her well being, since it hurt too much. "No..." She groaned, and thought her head would explode.

There was silence for several minutes. Agony for Raven, thinking time for Slade. He was wondering whether he should apologise or not.

Slade touched her forehead, and he could feel the heat through his glove. A fever. She winced, as that was the place she was hit. Slade took notice of it, and removed his hand. He gently moved her aching head onto a folded blanket.

Raven felt as though her head would blow up. The searing pain made no effort to disappear, and she found it almost unbearable. She tilted her head, only slightly, and coughed out small specks of blood. It's just the... shock, she told herself.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" He was curious, as she had yelled for him to get up.

She groaned, making no attempt to look at him or even open her eyes. She was obviously still in pain. "The sack, it's... it's ran out... no more food... and no more water..."

"Oh," the masked man replied, not at all fazed. "We can hunt for food, and go to a river for water. Although I'll have to do the work, with you in that... condition." He gave a chuckle.

She tried to get up. Was he laughing at her, at her pain? "Well, is your mask made of indestructible stone or something? It's not my fault! Just wait till I'm up! Don't... laugh at me!"

She was flailing, but couldn't get up. She stopped when the pain in her head became something she couldn't endure. Her opened eyes slid shut. Raven tried to use her powers to lift something that could hit him, but it didn't work. In fact, it made her head reel.

"Believe me, Raven, I wasn't. Relax, and calm down." Slade found her temper wasn't improving because of the hit. In fact, it was doing just the opposite.

"It's too hot, Slade. Don't tell me to calm down! This wouldn't be happening if you could get up slowly like a normal person!" She felt like she was surrounded by fire, and sweat trickled down her face.

"Raven, you have a fever. Did you think you'd be cold? I'll go now to fetch some water. I want you to rest, and soon it'll be nothing more than a headache." Slade saw Raven look at him in worry. She was going to be alone, defenceless. "Don't worry, Raven, you'll be fine," he added.

She relaxed but only slightly. "Okay, Slade..." Raven was still worried, but thought she'd be fine. She was a Titan, for cryin' out loud! She chided herself for being worried in the first place.

Slade gently moved some of her hair out of her face with his hand, in a somewhat paternal gesture. With the hair out the way, he clearly saw her eyes. "I'm sorry for hitting you. And, Raven, I'm not a 'normal' person. You aren't either, no one is."

Raven gave a small smile at the gesture, also nodding at the speech, before falling into a meditating sleep to heal herself. Her breathing slowed.

He too, gave a soft smile, and watched her body float, seemingly healing her own head. Pity, he thought, still thinking she was still the perfect apprentice. Slade walked off silently, ready to find the closest river.

When he reached the small, flowing tributary, he sighed in relief. Using a pan, he scooped out some water. He'd filter it where he was, then take it back to boil. It had to be clean enough to drink without them dying.

He used another pan, placed a simple handkerchief around it, so it covered the top, and slowly poured the water into it. Slade was filtering the water, ridding it of some soil and stones, along with whatever other dangerous substances there were inside.

He was about to get another pot of water, but he saw a small thing swim past. It looked like a fish, but it had only one eye at the top of its head, like a cyclops'. Not about to miss his chance, he scooped it into the pan, and then emptied the water. The fish's struggling soon ceased, meaning it was dead. Dinner's done, he thought in jest.

Slade began to clean the fish, and prepare it. The sky seemed to darken a little. He guessed it was around the late afternoon. Rushing his actions more, he realised he'd forgotten Raven.

Suddenly, Slade felt as though something was in his mind. He stopped moving his arms, trying to figure out what it was.

"Slade, Slade, can you hear me? It's me, Raven." It sounded like a thought in his head, except in Raven's voice. She sounded panicked, words coming out quickly.

"Impressive. I never knew you had this... ability. You're in my head? We can discuss it later though. Why did you contact me?" Cool, calm, collected voice, just like him.

"Slade, there's these monsters. I can't fend them off by myself, with my problem. It's hurting already. I can't fight them, they're too strong. My powers use too much energy. Come back and help."

Before he could reply, the presence was gone. Tightly securing the water and the fish to him, Slade sprinted back.

When he returned, he found Raven with her back against a tree, looking tired. Four beasts were out in front of her, and were exactly the same as the pack of monsters they had once fought.

The monsters came closer, and Raven pressed herself further into the tree. Her head hurt, and things were spinning.

"I suggest you shouldn't move any closer to her." She sighed once she heard that all too familiar voice. She looked at him, and he knew she was thankful. Within the next minute, she was out like a light. Asleep.

Stubborn girl, Slade thought. She had probably been defending herself since he was gone. Otherwise, Raven wouldn't be as tired as she was.

He picked up a pistol from his pouch. Just once, he wouldn't kill them. He shot at the behind of one. It hit, but not in a place to kill, just injure.

The gunshot pierced the serenity and all the beasts flitted away. The injured one limped. Slade hid his pistol again, and relit the fire. The fish and the water were held above the fire.

When Raven awoke, she swore that she smelt fish. She thought that she was in a dream. But feeling the sand under her made her know it wasn't, it was too real.

Her head had improved. No doubt it would bruise, but the headache was gone. Her stomach rumbled. She remembered something. "Did you... kill the animals? If you did then..."

He interrupted, not at all willing to hear a threat, "Do you see any corpses? Stop worrying so much, Raven. Hungry?" Slade asked, watching her awaken. He looked as she sat down next to the fire, and Slade passed her a cup of water, with fish meat. He chuckled as she devoured them both quickly. While she was sleeping, he'd eaten his share, saving him having to take his mask off.

"So, you went into my mind earlier?" It was an innocent question, so she'd give an answer. She nodded. He asked another question. "Did you see anything? Raven, I want an honest answer."

Raven felt as though she should scoff, since she was more honest than him. She refrained from it though, once she saw the villain's glare. "Slade, no, I didn't. It's like you already have mental barriers."

It was true though. Raven met mental blocks in his mind as soon as she tried to dig into his past. She already had cerebral blocks put up but she wondered how he did. He's a human, he shouldn't have them, she thought.

Raven continued to think, rather loudly, and Slade could actually hear it faintly in his own head. "Stop worrying over your thoughts. I can hear them."

Her jaw dropped, and her cheeks flushed slightly, adding a glow to her face. "You can?" She received her answer through a mental thought, not aloud.

"Yes, and you can hear my thoughts too. We can communicate like this?" Slade was still confused, as he was new to it all.

Raven realised something. It was exactly like when she had entered Robin's mind. Sometimes he could hear her thoughts, and vice versa. They'd have conversations, and maybe see a little bit more of each other's past. That bond was destroyed after a while, as they hadn't used it in a long time.

It had brought them closer, and Raven wasn't sure whether she wanted to be closer with Slade. She replied by thinking, directing her thoughts to him.

"I suppose we could talk like this. But Slade, I went into your mind, like I once went into Robin's. That means..."

She paused, nervous, "We have a bond." Slade didn't answer, clearly not understanding. Raven was reluctant to elaborate. "A bond is created when a telepathic person, like me in this case, enters another's mind.

It means the two can share memories, thoughts, and even feelings through it. But if you don't want the other to have access to your mind, you put up mental barriers. Like you have, and I have.

If this bond isn't used in a long time, or the relational bond between the two isn't strong anymore, then the bond is broken, and unavailable."

He wasn't at all shocked, which Raven had expected. "I see. So, Raven, what do you want to do with this bond?"

Slade looked at her, and she avoided his eye. "I guess we just leave it as it is. It would be a help in our... situation. But if you try anything, I'll break this bond myself."

He nodded. "Now that offer has been placed, I don't think I'll try anything. After all, I don't think I want to lose the bond. Do you?"

She sighed, annoyed. "I guess I don't." The sky seemed to darken, matching her mood.

"You always say 'I guess,' Raven. You can be a confident person, so stop guessing things. Be sure; make sure the person knows your decision. Okay?"

Raven wanted to say I guess, but that would prove his point. "Yes, Slade, but that's rich coming from you. And, you aren't my teacher so I don't want the lectures you keep giving me." She was tempted to yell.

"You don't want them, but you'll need them. I'm sure they'll be of use in the future. After all, I got to this position by being confident, sure of myself. That's all you need to do."

"I don't want to be like you. I don't want to be a immoral mastermind. I'm sure of that!"

"Good, then it seems the lecture has worked...although, it's a pity. I think you'd have been quite the criminal."

She was a Titan, a hero, a 'do gooder.' Slade seriously thought she'd make an accomplished villain, but it would be impossibly hard to sway her from the teachings she had been bestowed.

Raven had enough of it all. She was sick and she was tired of hearing his opinion. It had been a stressful day, and she didn't want more of it. "Shut up, Slade. Just shut up! I've had enough of your opinion! I'm sick and I'm tired of it..."

Her eyes flickered red, before returning to normal. An explosion was heard in the distance. That man just had to make her lose control, blow up things! At least it wasn't as often as it was with the Titans.

Now that she had cooled off, she lay on her blanket, and closed her drooping eyes. "Goodnight, Slade." She was always saying that now.

"Goodnight, Raven. If you're tired of my opinion, you should put your own opinion in more often. I'd like to hear more about you. After all, you're a quiet girl."

He said it half heartedly, but he was serious. He received no reply, but he knew she had heard it all the same.

His eye shut, while hers reopened, a glint held within them.

-

**Thanks for reading, and please review! Have a great new year,**

**SladeRavenFan & qweerlittlefish**

**P.S, the chapter seemed a little short, but SladeRavenFan is busy for upcoming exams and readying for school. **


	11. Chapter 11

**What up guys? Yes. We are aware of the ceiling, and the sky...but really...what up? How are you? Happy old new year from Qlf! Russians...we tend to celebrate...um...everything.  
><strong><br>Thanks to Gingerstorm101, ravenkakashiluv26, sinomin, Random hero77, XLucy0117X, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, The Imperfect Me, and true story.****

****To the anonymous reviewer 'true story': Thanks for the advice! We'll take it to heart, but we're already halfway on the story, and Raven and Slade have been in the dimension for a long time. We're trying to show how they become friends, so they change, become different to who they were at the beginning.****

**We love all the reviews...*tearing up* thank you for all the support.**

**Oh. And we have some bad news.**

**Qlf asked DC on their website If she could buy Teen Titans, and CN, unfortunately, to date there have been no replies. Sorry, but that means, that we, don't own Teen Titans. Don't Sue!**

-

Slade woke up, from a dreamless sleep. He noticed it was a little after midnight, according to his reliable body clock. He sat up, and stretched.

Raven was nowhere in sight. Considering the hour of the day, and the circumstances, he decided to look for her, as the girl had a talent of getting herself into trouble. Whether it was a gift or a curse, she still had that 'ability'.

After a good few minutes of striding leisurely through the darkness, he found her sat near the river that he'd found, and it was an unexpected sight.

Her hair was dishevelled, her eyes wide and frightened. He noticed her arms were shaking. She was sat on the sand, her face buried in her knees. When she heard him, she looked up, startled.

"R-Raven? What are you doing?"  
>He was still shocked, explaining the stutter. She looked almost... scared. What could have caused the normally stoic girl to be like this? She tried to recompose herself.<p>

"I could ask you the same thing. I had... a nightmare. It was very… vivid. I've hardly ever had them before. Took a bit of getting used to the fact that it wasn't...real."

So, that was it? Nightmares scaring her? Probably Trigon's doing. "I see. Raven, you shouldn't fear nightmares."

The words did little to comfort her, but she relaxed. Slade outstretched his hand to her. Her jaw dropped at the gesture. She took his hand, and he pulled her up. He was helping her?

"Thanks. I'm fine, just a little shaken up. Can you take us back to the base? I'm a little lost." Raven was truly astray, but in more ways than one. Slade, himself, was too.

Slade took her upper arm, and she stopped quivering so much. He pulled her through the forest, leading her back to the intensity of the bright fire.

They both sat next to each other, in front of the warm flames. The light bounced off his mask, obscuring a good view of it. Slade spoke, "Do you feel like going back to sleep?"

"No, not yet. I just need to calm down." He could see Raven was still on edge, whether she'd admit it or not. He had little experience on the topic of reassuring people down. Joey and Grant barely came to him for help with nightmares. And Rose. He shook the memories away and turned to face Raven.

"Do you want to talk about it? It'll help you, Raven. Take your time." She gave a small nod, and then seemed to change her mind, and shook her head.

"I can't tell you. There was just an enemy and..." She trailed off, the dream resurfacing. "I'm sorry..."

Slade understood immediately. The 'enemy' was most likely himself. She was afraid that what happened in the dream would happen to her. Raven didn't want to do what she might've done in the dream.

"Don't be. I understand, Raven, you've told me enough. Do you feel better?" She nodded, not in the mood to talk, or listen to him. She went back to the distant mode she with the Titans.

Silence took over the base, not a sound slicing through the awkward atmosphere. It unnerved Raven, as it made her more paranoid. And after the dream, it made her afraid.

"Slade, the other day, with those beasts. Thank you for saving me. But I don't want to be a hindrance, so I was wondering if... you'd teach me some defence manoeuvres."

He took it in. So, the girl wanted to learn from him. This could be his advantage. "I will, on the condition that I... join your meditation sessions. Some days, even I need to unwind."

"Okay then, it's settled. But nothing like full on training. I just need to be able to defend myself. I don't want be like Robin, or Te..."

Not wanting to hear his former apprentice's name, he spoke, "We'll talk more in the morning. As for now, sleep, Raven. You're becoming more stressed. Dreams can't hurt you, unless you let them."

She lay down, and shut her droopy eyelids. He did the same. "Thank you, Slade." That early morning, she dreamt pleasant dreams.

When Raven woke up, it was a lot later than usual. The sun was high in the sky, and the fire was out. Probably midday, she guessed.

"Sleep well?" She had forgotten him in her observations of the place. She stifled a yawn, and nodded to him.

"Listen, Raven. I'm going to get us some food, and we still have water from yesterday. Do you want to come?"

"Yeah, I'll come. Let's go now. I'm starving." She stood, and stretched her arms out. She grabbed an extra blanket from the sack, and hid it under her cloak. Running her hand through her hair, she followed Slade out to the river they'd been to that morning.

"Slade, how do we know what's safe to eat, and what isn't?" It was a good question, and Slade turned to face her.

"We don't. This dimension is similar to Earth, so we can find similar animals to hunt."

Hunt? Hunting meant killing. He was going to kill? She couldn't have that. She knew how on Earth people killed animals, but that was different...somehow.

"We don't have to hunt animals. We can just get fish, like the one you got yesterday."

"Eventually the fish will run out. You can't always be the hero, Raven. There are lives which you can't save. And fishing, is hunting too, just on a smaller scale." She hated that he was right.

He dragged her behind a tree for cover, as a strange looking animal, similar to a deer, started drinking from the river. She found the scene relaxing, because it was like Earth, which she missed dearly...

Slade took out the pistol, ready to shoot it. He was about to press the trigger, when the gun floated out of her hands. He narrowed his eye in annoyance.

"Would you rather starve?" He asked in a controlled and deadly calm anger. It demoralized her how he could be so in control, even when irate. These types of villains, Raven thought, were the worst, and the most dangerous.

"Yes, I'd rather starve then have you murder an animal. We can get a supply of fish instead." She wasn't scared by his anger. He wouldn't lash out at her, since he had one thing a lot of villains don't have. Patience. He was always eerily patient.

"And how, Raven, do you suggest we get the fish?" He heard her sigh, obviously annoyed.

The blanket under her cloak was brought out and unfolded. It dunked itself entirely under the river, and frightened the animal away.

In one quick swoop, she brought it back to the surface, curling the edges so the contents wouldn't fall. Inside, there was roughly about a dozen fish. Folding all corners to create a sack-like container, it smoothly floated behind her.

Slade glared at her, and she glared back. Neither was willing to back down. But in the end, Raven looked away, walking back to the base. He followed.

A conversation had been started. Raven and Slade found themselves around the fire once more, already having eaten their fish. The leftovers were dumped by a tree, effectively hidden, and covered so they wouldn't stink up the place.

"I could teach you to hunt, Raven. It'd be a new skill."

"I might want to learn defence from you, but I don't want to learn how to kill. I'd refuse anything on hunting, Slade. Plus, I don't want to use a gun."

Her decision was set in stone. She wouldn't kill directly. Never. Slade wanted to make her see things his way. He found it wasn't working, yet. Another time, maybe. He didn't have time to deal with this now. He was tired.

"Okay, Raven. Let's move to a... somewhat lighter topic. Why did you become a hero?"

She raised her eyebrow in disbelief. "You call this a lighter topic? I became a hero because even if these powers were made for evil, they can be used for good. To help people, unlike you."

"Everyone has different intentions, my dear, and if you are trying to be a hero then so be it. Think, Raven, there are other types of evil, beyond people who think they're villains."

She narrowed her eyes. "Well, Slade, what's your point? What are you trying to make me think?"

"I'm not trying to get you to think anything. Heroes only defeat villains, when there are more evils than that. What about other places in the world, other evils, like tsunamis, bushfires...global warming even?"

"I know that there are other evils, but we can still try to stop them. Everything deserves to be saved, and it can be."

Raven was confused. There were heroes; they saved people's lives, stopping criminals. But then again, they didn't bother with other cities, or stop anything but villains. He was right... No! She couldn't allow him to be right about anything.

Slade saw the inner conflict, but he was unsure of whether he was actually wrong. That was just his opinion.

"I'm sure everything can't be saved, Raven. You'd better start looking at the truth, before you believe the lies you're telling yourself."

She nodded, not wanting to start an argument. Raven had a lot on her mind, and some meditation would clear it. The talk was too much.

Slade just sat there watching her. He had no problem in being still; after all, training in the military came in handy. She must have stopped talking to prevent an outburst.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinth..." she chanted, quietly. Instantly, she was calmed.

It reminded her of home...a flash back came and went. It was Titans Tower. For once she relaxed, and let herself be swept up by it.

Their happy voices began to fill her head, and she smiled...

Why her? Why, of all the Titans, was it her who came here? It wasn't fair, but not a lot of things are. She guessed that she was better to survive here than the other Titans.

After all, putting Robin and Slade together could start a whole new era of war. But then again, they worked well before? That was the end of the world though, and they had no choice, she reasoned.

Beast Boy with Slade in this dimension would be suicide for him. Slade would not tolerate the annoying shape shifter, while Beast Boy would endlessly blame him about Terra's petrifaction. None of them would return unscathed.

Starfire, maybe? Her naïveté would probably earn her a few insults from Slade, but she could probably survive with him. Knowing her, she'd probably be polite. Raven could guess that Starfire's ideas would clash with Slade's; but they could learn to get along. Maybe?

Cyborg might also do well in the dimension with him. A few arguments would be in order, him forever being protective of his friends. Cy would probably criticise everything that Slade had done, about how he ruined lives, and hurt everyone he met...he'd just be a second, more polite, more understanding...

Raven sighed. It was no use mulling over possibilities. She was here with him, and she couldn't change it. She'd have to deal with it.

Instead of continuing to be lost in thought over what could have been, she flicked through memories in her mind, using it like a photo-album. She dwelled on each happy moment with the Titans. She missed them.

At least Slade wasn't talking, she thought bitterly.

**There you have it guys!**

**We hope you enjoyed!**

**R &R?**

**Peace,**

**Qlf and SRF**


	12. Chapter 12

Hello, people!

This chapter came out okay, and everything is done for a purpose.

It seems we've had less reviews last chapter, but that's fine. Thanks to Gingerstorm101, ravenkakashiluv26, sinomin, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, XLucy0117X, and Lust for Life.

We don't own Teen Titans, unless we've been sent to heaven.

Here ya go:

"Sit properly, up straight. No, Slade, not like that. Your meditation is different from mine..."

It was the crack of dawn, the sun just peeking over the edge of the horizon, casting an orange glow over their base; Raven was teaching Slade her method of meditation.

Raven sighed. He meditated by having peace of mind. No proper position and no rules to obey. Just like him.

"You sit cross legged, arms relaxed. Hands like this. Good. It's called the 'lotus' position. Close your eyes, and just copy me. Don't think about anything, breath in, and out slowly..."

The two were almost synchronised, albeit that she was floating. Everything was calm.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," they chanted simultaneously. Even though both their eyes were shut, the duo smirked. It was odd for him to utter those words.

The silence between them was calming, soothing. The sound of their chanting excused and the sounds of the dimension's nature were just adding to the atmosphere.

"My way of calming is also through martial arts, Raven, not just through peace of mind."

When he was done talking, he executed a flawless sequence of kicks, punches and manoeuvres. It was amazing, Raven thought.

"Now, attack me. I promise I won't attack you back. I'm going to dodge your attacks."

She looked uneasy. "But, if I'm meant to be learning defence, why do I have to attack?"

She realised Slade was very patient. In this situation, it was a benefit. "It will be useful. After all, you can't just defend their moves; you have to fight back too. And, this will improve your patience, and give an example of what you must do."

Raven nodded, and he gestured with his hand. She charged at him, and unleashed a kick with all the force she could muster.

He lifted up his arm, and the kick's force was expelled on the metal guard. She fell to the ground, and slowly lifted herself up. The kick had hurt her foot more than it hurt him.

"You made your intentions blatantly obvious, Raven. Try again, and don't hold back. Expel the force properly. Surely Robin would have taught you more?"

She easily suppressed the anger fizzing under her skin, and even after the comment Raven found him a good teacher. Maybe he had taught in his earlier life, or maybe teaching Terra or even Robin had helped him become such a...high-quality tutor. She dropped the train of thought. She needed to focus.

Running towards him, she leapt and faked kicking his head and his shoulder. Two arms came to block them, and Raven kicked his unguarded chest as hard as she could. Slade fell on his knees, the force of the kick not enough, and Raven sighed. She was hoping he'd fall. Quickly leaping back up, he was indifferent.

"Good, Raven, I'm impressed. You learn quickly, and that's a good skill to have. But, it's not over yet. Now, I'm going to attack. You're on defence. I'll give you a moment to calm yourself, find your centre, and stay alert."

The words were calming in themselves. He just had to be good at schooling, didn't he? She breathed in his words, absorbing them, and breathed out all the negative matter holding her back. Raven let go of all the emotions, all the hindrances she held. She was ready, focused, and in control.

Slade released a flurry of attacks on her, each co-ordinated and perfectly performed-almost like some dance. She blocked a few, but most hit their intended target. It was expected, but a good way to improve, by fighting someone better than you.

He wasn't impressed this time, but he knew he would win. When the girl focused, and was taught correctly, she could do and achieve far more. Robin obviously wasn't giving her any combat training. How selfish, he thought, keeping all his fighting secrets to himself. Finding a big hole in her defence, he sent a hook to her neck, knocking her to the floor.

"That... was disappointing, Raven, but I know it is because you lack proper training." She opened her mouth to offer a retort, but he spoke first. "Try to defend the places that are open, like your neck, for instance. Use the stance I am in."

Her cheeks tinted slightly, embarrassed, and she grasped his offered hand. As if using no strength, he lifted her up. She rubbed her sore neck, before mimicking his stance. She didn't know why, but Raven thought that she had to impress the man. She had to prove she could fight-to him, and also to herself.

"It's not the Titans' fault. Everyone has different abilities to train."

Slade felt a hint of amusement. No matter what, the girl thought she needed to defend her friends. He also knew that in a short amount of time, she could become a good fighter. Robin was in for a surprise when she returned.

"Well, let's not waste time on chit chat. This time, we spar. Don't hold back. Keep your hands close to your body, and face, to defend them."

They sparred for a couple more hours, stopping occasionally for Slade to offer more advice. Although she didn't want to admit it, Raven was learning from him.

Grunts of effort were made. Slade was winning (as expected), and holding back. He slowed down when he saw her lagging. She was tired, and the heaving chest and dripping sweat showed it.

He was impressed when she continued, using all her effort. She was willing to be taught and learnt fast. Again, thoughts of apprenticeship were entering his head.

The fight ended with her sitting on the floor, exhausted, and him standing over her. He didn't flaunt his victory. She found it odd that he didn't.

"That was good, for your first session." She ducked her head, embarrassed. She muttered a thank you. Even though she was embarrassed, Slade noticed she looked distant, gloomy, as though she was thinking.

"Can we take a walk? I want to just... relax." That wasn't the only reason. Raven wanted to see something other than just the camp and river. She needed to do something, anything that could take her mind off the previous events.

He nodded, and followed as she walked out of the base. Slade made a mental map of where they were going, forever being alert. The wind blew gently, blowing Raven's cloak behind her. She sighed, and remembered when she walked in the park with the Titans.

Slade found it quite obvious what she might be thinking of, but he wasn't completely sure. "Is something on your mind, Raven?" She stared at him, her eyes looking distant, as though she were somewhere else. In reality though, she was stuck with him. The thought made her angry. Raven stopped walking, and so did Slade. They stood on the edge of the cliff top, and looked down. The trees look like ants, she mused.

"Yes, something is. And quite frankly, I don't want to share it with you." She was in a foul mood. Couldn't the empath lighten up? Suddenly he understood why the green changeling would annoy her.

Raven watched as he stared at her. Then, she gazed in horror as a purplish creature pounced on Slade, pushing him off the edge. The beast fell down, while Raven grabbed his hand, skidding on her front.

Of course, Slade being the heavier person, she couldn't manage his weight. The edge seemed to crunch as she slipped off, along with him.

The air made Raven's eye squint, to look below at the harsh floor. Surely anyone would die if they hit the ground, since it was so far down. She grabbed Slade's hand with an unusual strength, connecting them. He almost winced. Almost.

Raven pondered whether she should: fly up, while dragging Slade. Would she make it though, as they'd be impossibly heavy?

She could get something to meet them, so it could carry them up, but wouldn't their bodies hitting it cause an injury?

She didn't have enough time to weigh out the possibilities, as the objects below were getting bigger. Why couldn't Slade help? She didn't know what to do. Panic threatened to form.

"What are you going to do? It's your move." Was he crazy, being so nonchalant? And talking about it as though it were a game?

"I don't know. I don't have any." She swore she heard him laugh. At this point, she realised he really seemed insane.

Think, Raven, she thought. Raven... Raven! She could use her raven form! It'd take alot of energy, but she'd be fine. Her powers could touch Slade! They had the bond, she'd already came in contact with his mind. They'd be fine. She chided herself at her own stupidity.

Experiencing the familiar feeling of her powers, she grasped Slade's hand even tighter, and covered them both in shadow. She flew up to the edge again, and dropped both her and Slade to the ground.

Raven watched sweat fall off her forehead, and took deep breaths. While she spoke, she panted. "I'd have thought... that you'd be... more alert."

Ignoring the comment, Slade stared at her tired form. "So, I take it you can now let your powers touch me, with no harm?"

She nodded. "It still took a lot of control though. We weigh plenty, and I still had to use energy to keep myself away from your mind. It's takes a lot out of me. Back in Jump, that would have been easy."

Raven was disappointed that the gravity was so different. Flying or carrying themselves was too heavy. However, holding an object was easy? But what if she used her powers and wrapped them around herself and Slade? They could be like 'objects'! She'd try it later.

Slade stood up, and brushed himself off. Next, he hauled Raven onto her feet. He always seemed to be doing it lately, making him believe he was a gentleman. He was, of course, with manners coming first.

Still exhausted, she collapsed. Slade tightly gripped Raven's upper arm, and she hung from it. "Sorry..." she muttered, "I'm just really tired..."

He nodded. He understood it must have been hard for her to carry them both up such a long distance. Plus, they were going up, so it must have been heavy.

"Why are you being so... nice?" she wondered aloud. Raven was confused. Why was he being nice? Why was he helping her?

"What do you mean?" Slade was trying to get her to reveal why? Coward, she thought. He was avoiding the question. Her eyes drooped a little. She really could use a nap...

"Sometimes... we argue and we're enemies and heroes... then... you try and annoy me... after that... you're nice, like now, and you help me. Why, Slade?"

"Well, Raven, I think you're just tired. I help because I did. I believe it'll be your benefit to not question my motives."

He wasn't snapping at her, he was simply avoiding the question; veiling the answer with an empty threat. She closed her eyes, and her body was held entirely by his hold on her upper limb.

"You never answered my question, I..." And just like that, she was asleep. He chuckled. Yes, he had been avoiding the question, but who could blame him? The girl was very... importunate.

He slipped his arm under her knees, and the other under her back. One could say he was carrying her bridal style, or cradling her.

Walking back the way that their base was, Slade was deep in contemplation. He stared at the empath's face. Strands of purple covered parts of it. He didn't bother to move them away. Her chest rose and fell with every breath. This Titan, he felt, was the best of them all. She was powerful, undoubtedly, yet refused to use all that power. Was she scared of losing control, or of hurting the Titans? When he'd added his deft cameras into the Tower, he realised he knew the least about her. She was an enigma. He'd spent more time watching her, even the smallest movements, and felt now, he knew more.

She wasn't shy, but just didn't want attention. She was serious, but didn't mind a bit of sarcasm as a joke. Out of all the Titans, she seemed the most different.

She isolated herself, read books, and didn't always go out with them. Raven stayed in her room, reading intelligent material.

He watched once as she tensed, watching her teammates taking hits. Slade noticed she tensed a lot, or gave a little twitch. He noticed that it was her faltering control over her emotions.

She had tensed when her father came. She tensed when she found Robin at her door. She tensed when Starfire asked her to go shopping, when Cyborg put his hand on her shoulder, when Beast Boy tried to make a joke.

She was far from skittish, and good at covering up what she really felt. Was it that bad for Raven to reveal how she really felt?

They'd reached the base now. Dropping Raven to a blanket, he lay down on a blanket next to her. His eye gleamed, before shutting.

There it is.

Please review! Tis motivation, plus let's us know there are readers, and give your opinion.

SRF and QLF


	13. Chapter 13

**Heya,**

**Here's the chapter. Thanks to all our favers, and subscribers. And also a huge thank you to our reviewers; Gingerstorm 101, ravenkakashiluv26, The Amethyst Eyes, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, sinomin, ArtMelody, and GreenNightStar.**

******Also, as this is qweerlittlefish writing now, I would just like to apologise. **** I updated the wrong chapter 12 last time (as a few of you noticed) then re-updated it. I'm soooo sorry for all of the confusion. I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THE UPDATER AND I SCREW UP! Haha! Anyways, Sorry again...sorry SRF. **

**Anyways, Enjoy.**

"Come to join me, Raven?" She smirked, as he had figured it out. Slade craned his neck, to look at her. "Really, Raven? It's a little immature to try and sneak up on me. Besides, it takes more than silent footsteps to complete such a feat." He gave a low chuckle.

It was the crack of dawn, and Raven had awoken to the sound of Slade using her meditation. A sense of pride welled in her chest. With a hint of childish amusement, she had tried to creep up on Slade.

Still smirking, she floated next to him, and Raven chanted her mantra in unison to him.

"You know, Slade, you can talk while meditating." Their eyes stayed closed, but they knew each other well enough to not worry.

"Well, what do you want to say, Raven?" He watched her tense, and her arms faltered slightly from their position.

"Nothing," she answered, too quickly. "Will we be going to get more fish? I think some of ours are rotting?"

An obvious change of subject. Slade knew what she was doing, but if she wanted conversation, he'd give it.

"No, we'll be hunting. I'll teach you how, Raven. You know that you are perfectly capable of killing a creature. Don't deny it."

Capable of killing a creature? Was he crazy? She couldn't take life. Never, right? Killing. She hated that word. It sounded so... wide of the mark. Butchery and slaughter, were other words for killing, they were wrong.

Slade knew he had to convince her on this. In his mind, he thought himself right. The girl was being stubborn. People had to kill, and animals die every day. There were hunting seasons, slaughter to eat cows, deer, sheep, pigs and chickens.

"People kill animals every day, for food. How do you think you get your pork, beef, any meat?" he asked.

She struggled for an answer. "That's different," she replied.

"Is it really? We are hunting for food, so we can eat it. So, tell me, how is it different, Raven?" he questioned. Bombarding her with questions seemed the way to confuse her. After all, he was the world's greatest tactician.

"Well, it is. I...I mean that I can't destroy an animal. Killing is erroneous."

"Is it? Sometimes we have to kill. It's them, or us. The government sometimes kills criminals, Bin Laden, and people like that. If they can't give mercy, why should you?"

"People deserve it..." she trailed off.

"Do they? What's a few animals hunted to keep us alive, Raven, compared to the mass slaughter on earth? Animals die every day, and one more is not going to make a difference."

Raven didn't answer. She was confused. This criminal, this man, made everything make sense. Everything he said was so... logical. Animals did die every day, and some governments did have to take lives to save their own. Selfish, that's what they were.

Killing was wrong, wasn't it? She wasn't sure anymore. She needed time to think. Relief swept through Raven as he had finally stopped asking questions.

"I... I don't know. Things may die every day, but that doesn't mean we can't save some lives."

"Heroes are selfish; they only save lives of mankind, and not of animals. Have the Teen Titans ever saved an animal's life?"

Silkie, was the first thing to pop into her head. Maybe he was right...

Slade noticed she needed serious encouragement. "Think of it as doing them a favour, stopping them from the suffering they'd have to endure if they lived."

"You're right... I guess one or two can be... killed." What she spoke seemed so messed up. Slade didn't mock her, though he did smirk at being accurate.

Raven sighed. This conversation had gotten in the way of meditation. She felt even more stressed. A lot of pent up energy was building inside. She instantly denied what she'd said. She couldn't kill flora and fauna, right?

Seeming to sense what she was feeling, Slade offered to spar. She nodded slowly, still mulling over his words.

After a few minutes, both hero and villain had managed to go to their first empty spar area, as well sink into their stances. Slade noticed Raven looked distant, and almost felt guilty for giving such a lecture. Almost.

"Raven?"

She turned to face him, her gloomy look replaced with sudden alertness. "Sorry. I got lost... in thought..." she said, half muttering it.

"Today, Raven, we'll work on situational awareness. At the moment, what are our surroundings like?"

He reminded her of a drill instructor, forever calm, and in control. She noticed that he'd never raised his voice.

"It's sand for the ground, mostly empty, trees within a short range, and a few branches off to the side. Good weather, clear skies, and it's bright."

Slade gave a tight smile, behind his mask. "Correct. Now think of some advantages and disadvantages before we spar. For example, the sandy ground would break any falls, but also, the sand could get into our eyes, causing potential harm."

Raven surveyed the surroundings.  
>There were a lot of advantages and disadvantages. She noticed she'd have to stay in the centre, or else she could be cornered. Branches could be used as weapons?<p>

"Have you thought of any?" Slade asked. She nodded. "It's your move, my dear. Defend yourself, as well as attack." He gestured for her to move, to start the battle, while he lifted out his bo-staff.

Raven shifted her weight from one foot to another, and Slade saw a glint on her belt. He signalled for her to stop.

"Do you still have that knife I gave you for Christmas?" A nod. "Why don't you use it against my bo-staff, and make it a fair fight?"

She looked hesitant, but pulled it out. The knife shone in the sun, as she held it out in front of her.

"Will I ever use a bo-staff?" Innocent query, innocent girl. Full of questions, but never full of answers.

"Perhaps."

Did he have to answer indefinitely? It was frustrating! She wanted a solid answer. Without waiting, she lunged at him, making sure the knife's blade would only hit the metal.

They clashed, screeching against each other. The knife easily cut through the staff, rendering it useless. It clattered quietly, as Slade dropped it.

Now it was fists for him and a knife for her. She aimed for his shoulder, and he gripped her wrist, stopping her.

She pulled the knife back, and pushed it forward as she attempted to be in control. Slade was obviously stronger than Raven, as he pulled the blade further from himself.

Raven's hand slid off the knife, and instantly, with all the force pulling on it, the knife lodged itself into Slade's shoulder. She had been pushing it that time.

She suppressed a scream, which came as a loud gasp, and he grunted, in pain.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean for that to happen, it's my fault..." She glanced at him, the guilt overwhelming her.

-

The girls healing powers were very effective, Slade thought, shrugging his shoulders. There was no pain.

As soon as they'd sat around their fire, Raven immediately threw the knife onto the ground, and started to heal him.

He found her healing abilities were extraordinary. By tomorrow, with the help of her powers and his own healing abilities, he'd be back to normal.  
>"Thank you." She shrugged. It seemed strange for her leader's worst enemy to say that to her.<p>

"Don't say thanks. It was my fault, I know it was. I shouldn't have let go. The least I could do was to make it better."

"I would have healed on my own, you know," he told her, sounding nonchalant. She felt the urge to slap him across the face.

Raven suppressed the negative emotions, settling into a glare instead. "You could have told me before, Slade. Don't tell me I just wasted my energy on you..."

"But you did, didn't you? Oh, and choose your words more carefully, my darling. You didn't waste the energy, as it wouldn't taken me longer to heal. Now, we can go for a swim."

Confusion crossed her face. "A swim, why?" His one eye narrowed, and he sighed. Slade felt as though he was dealing with a stubborn kid. She was far from that though.

"Firstly, we stink. Secondly, I'd like to flex my muscles."

Raven readied to leave, attaching the bloodied knife to her belt. Fear was weakness, and now wasn't the time to be scared of a little bit of blood.

-

It was like a hot spring. Slade and Raven had found a natural-looking lake, which they'd sink into. She'd discarded her cloak and belt, with him taking off his belt and bandolier.

It was warm, as well as refreshing. Raven rested with her arms on the surface, as though the lake were a swimming pool. Her leotard clubbed to her like a swimming costume.

"Relaxed, are we?" As always, the peace was disturbed by the baddie, the villain. It applied in more ways than one.

"Yes. It seems as though it's washing off every bad thing that's happened. Now all that has to disappear is you..."

He gave a dry laugh, which held no real humour. She rolled her eyes. "So, Slade, why are we here?"

"To clean ourselves and to relax, though I'd rather be in my shower or bath."

She stared, dumbfounded. "You shower?" She and the Titans had theories he was an alien, or a monster. Robin had explained what he'd seen when Slade's mask was off, in hell.

"Yes. Fortunately for me, Raven, my demon scales are waterproof." She smirked. That was... funny?

"Now, since that's over, let's head back to base," she muttered. Dragging herself out the pool, while stifling a toothy grin, Slade followed.

After picking up their items of clothing, both headed to their temporary...home.

**That was that. Did you guys enjoy?**

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**Laters,**

**The Pear.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hiya! This is SladeRavenFan speaking!**

**Argh! Six more chapters before Lost is... over...**

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**Those people are: The Amethyst Eyes, Random hero77, sinomin, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun and ravenkakashiluv26.**

**All you readers are amazing too! Now, enjoy this chapter! Sorry if it's a little out of character, but hey, everyone has to change a little to fit in...**

* * *

><p>"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos... Azarath..."<p>

It was becoming routine, meditating at the crack of dawn, every day.

Not that Slade didn't like routine, of course. He liked having routine, as it gave stability and was easy to follow. No complications or things like that.

Raven too liked routine. It gave her time to prepare for events, as well as let her know what'll happen. That stability was refreshing, knowing what'll happen.

But routine would end soon, and both knew it. Raven dreaded the day. Earlier on, when she'd given into Slade's demoralising lecture, she'd reluctantly said animals could be killed. Now, she knew she'd just said it because he wanted to hear it.

Slade wouldn't understand. She just couldn't kill them. She couldn't back up though, as she was sure that the one eyed villain would torment her over her cowardice. Now she had to wait for Slade to teach her how to hunt, and worse still, make her hunt. Her heart seemed to speed up, but her face showed no sign of worry.

* * *

><p>"We're here, Raven. I've found this creature simply because I followed its tracks in the sand. It's one of the most basic methods. Also, judging by the size of the footprints, the animal should be small."<p>

True to his word, the creature was small, and about the size of a wolf. It, or whatever gender it was, had similarities to wolves, other than its enormous eyes. One would think it'd look crazy, but it looked... cute? This was the thing she'd have to... kill?

His voice broke her train of thought. "Pay attention, Raven. I've picked a small handgun to do the work. It's light, and is basically one of the most used guns. Just shoot it, and I'm sure you know how to aim."

"Okay..." She shakily held the gun, grimacing. Raven instantly thought of shooting Slade. That wouldn't work, she admitted.

The creature looked up. It really was a charming animal. She chided herself for the very thought. Raven, the one to find another dimension's prey: cute. It reminded her of Puss In Boots, from Shrek. (Beast Boy had insisted on watching animals talk to human movies a couple of months back) She only had to pull the trigger, and that seemed too easy.

But it wasn't. She couldn't kill it. It was wrong, but this man! This manipulative man made it seem so right! She had to do it, didn't she? How? How could she? It'd just be wrong. She'd never live with all the guilt. She couldn't take another's life. It wasn't an item. She couldn't return it.

Raven's face gave a hint of worry and confusion, which Slade had undoubtedly noticed. She froze, still holding up the gun. She started to shake more visibly, as her face fully revealed her worry.

"Raven?" She didn't move, looking as though in a trance. He sighed. Taking the gun from her hands, he fired the bullet himself. It hit the creature's head, killing it instantly. He couldn't be bothered to chase it, so killing it on the spot would benefit. Blood poured out, causing a red puddle to appear.

Anger was the first emotion she felt. He, he killed it! So ruthless! He had killed it himself! The...the fiend!

"You killed it! It was just an innocent thing, an innocent being! Why... You...you monster!"

Strangely enough, Slade chuckled. "Are we really so childish to resort to name calling, Raven? I really could find a large number of nicknames for you, and none of them would be positive."

She glared, and stomped away, back to the camp. Raven was trying to suppress her emotions, but anger was threatening to become rage. How could he just kill it? There'd been no mercy, no second thoughts, and no remorse. Heartless beast, she thought.

She sat at the fire, Slade coming to sit beside her. She felt the urge to turn around with a 'Humph', but didn't. Instead, she refused to look at him.

"Stubborn as always, Raven." The way he said her name seemed so special. It sounded strange, sounded good, in Slade's masculine voice. She didn't know why.

"So? What do you want? To get out? Because, trust me, we will, so don't bother."

"Why are you angry at me? I haven't done anything wrong." Haven't done anything wrong? Had Slade been off in La La Land, while they were in the dimension?

"That's just it. You have done something wrong! You killed an innocent animal!" She made to put extra emphasis on the word 'innocent'.

"Is it wrong? Is it really?" Great, Raven thought. He was going to lecture her... She hated Slade's lectures! They always got into her head...

"Yes, it might've been innocent, Raven, but, it is partly your fault too. You need to eat, so this animal was killed. Is it wrong for me to get food for you and me to eat?"

Raven shook her head, violet hair moving with it. No, it wasn't. See? He always got into her head, always managed to manipulate his words! It was wrong, but she didn't have anything that could make a good argument. His explanation was logical though.

He always lectured her, til she understood. Always taught her something through lectures, learning through mistakes, teaching patiently. The girl wasn't eager to learn, but he could teach amazingly well.

"You're a good teacher, Slade."  
>He almost hadn't heard her speak, or didn't believe what she'd said. "Thank you, Raven. I have had experience in teaching."<p>

Experience was on his side. Slade had taught his wife, Joseph, Grant, Rose, Robin, Terra, and now, Raven. He was good at adapting methods for each of his students. For the more gentle and inexperienced, he was able to teach them things that weren't as violent. For those eager to learn how to fight, he taught them how to use weapons and more advanced skills.

Memories flashed through his head: him battling Adeline, teaching Grant how to use a gun, the smile on his face, a young Joseph doing well in battle... Grant, Joseph, Adeline... He missed them...

"Who's Grant, Joseph and Adeline?" Raven had felt the names echo into her head, from the bond.

Slade wanted to backhand her, but didn't want an enraged Raven on his tail. He was becoming too nostalgic, but who could blame him for missing his loved ones.

"My... wife, and my children."

Wow, Raven thought. Slade had a wife? And kids? He was a family person, and he was a villain. "What happened to them?"

She could sense his hesitance, but wasn't bothered. He spoke, "You ask a lot of questions, Raven, but don't have a lot of answers."

He was speaking the truth, but it was also saying 'lay off, or else'. Empty threats. Raven couldn't blame him, and he'd already revealed a lot she'd never expected him to have. It was enough.

In fact, and she hated to admit it, Slade was a human. He had motives for his actions, and some reasonable explanations for his evil doings.

Plus, he'd understood her. She didn't want to kill the animal, so he did. He didn't force her, which she'd expected him to do. Slade also had started the lecture, she had. But the man had done so many wrongs too, so it balanced it out.

The night left them lost in thought, and unbeknownst to the pair, their time around the fire, was coming to a close...

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading, and please review! It'll help to improve the whole 'reading experience'...<strong>

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	15. Chapter 15

**HEY!**

**This is qlf! Hi there!**

**First off, I'd like to thank;  
>ravenkakashiluv26, The Amethyst Eyes, Gingerstorm101, KraZiiePyrozhavemoreFun, Lust for life, GreenNightStar, sinomin.<strong>

**But most of all...I wanna thank, SRF herself. She does the work, she's the brains. I add words, I take out words, I update, and I throw ideas around in emails...but SRF, is the amazing one! She's truly talented! I really hope you guys all see this too!**

**Enjoy, and remember that we OWN NOTHING. **

As soon as the sun rose, the day started on a different foot. The routine was destroyed, Slade, not Raven, decided a morning spar might be more beneficial.

"Now, Raven, I have a feeling that this will be one of the last times we'll spar one on one, so fight your hardest, and see what you've learnt."

Raven didn't know what to think of that...their last spar? She was learning, she begrudgingly admitted, and she wasn't sure she wanted it to end. Sure, she hadn't been full on training, but as least she had improved.

For the first time, he started the spar, by aiming to kick her. She blocked with speed. Beneath his mask, a tight, unseen smile showed approval.

As the fight progressed, it was obvious who the victor was going to be. It had pretty much always been understandable, but at least Raven had actually had a chance, she had defended well...right up until she was a second too late, and couldn't always avoid Slade's lightning fast strikes. No matter how hard they were, or how rapidly they flew at her, she still knew he was holding back.

She, however, had also obviously improved. Her moves had more of a faster, swifter grace, than before. Her movements almost mimicked his, and Robin surely would notice this. She'd just have to stay out of combat.

Slade decided to end the fight, by tripping her. She stood, and gave the smallest smile. Raven knew he'd win anyways, but she'd still done well.

"Excellent, Raven. I can see the improvement you've made." Pride was one word to describe how he felt, but also he felt the nostalgia. He wanted an apprentice; he wanted someone to be by his side. He wanted a friend.

Her lips tweaked slightly, corners lifting higher, though it was still a small smile. "Thank you, Slade."

"You're welcome, Raven. But I did notice that you were... distracted. Why?"

That man just had to ask! She was annoyed. Was she really that easy to figure out? "Well, Slade, I think I've found an easy way to get out, so I guess we'll be moving tomorrow."

Raven moved to sit on a blanket, Slade coming beside her. She didn't even mind the invasion of personal space.

"How long have we been here, Slade?" How long? It felt like an eternity! She guessed it'd only been a short while, though she felt she'd gone through more than that.

"A few weeks, give or take a few days. There's no way of knowing for sure."

"When we're back to Jump, will you not fight the Titans?" It was a question she was just dying to ask. Would he though?

"Perhaps." Again with the indefinite answers. He spoke before she could ask anything else, "What's your escape plan, Raven?"

"Well, Slade, we have a bond, so that means I can touch you with my powers, with no repercussions. You have mental barriers, which I now know, so I can make contact with you without me gaining anything about you. So, if I just grabbed us with my powers, and dragged us over there, to the Portals, then we could escape. Also, since I lift things with my powers easily, it won't be too heavy. It's stupid I didn't figure it out earlier."

Slade chuckled in amusement, as the girl chided herself. "A good escape plan. Good things do come to those who wait. This inevitably means I must thank you for the idea to get us out. I do think it'll work."

"If you're thanking me for that then I thank you for everything else. It's been a good few weeks, Slade. Thank you for understanding me, helping me, teaching me. It's more than I could've asked for."

She felt... exposed, for saying that to her enemy. No, she corrected herself. He wasn't her foe anymore.

"Touching, Raven. Thank you for teaching me, as I must say that our time together has been very...thrilling."

"Seriously though, I just feel as though my skills have improved with you as a teacher. I've been coping better, and actually think I could do a little bit of hand to hand combat. I mean what I say, Slade. You're a good coach."

"Raven, thank you, but I haven't taught you very much. That, was just a sample of my guidance that I now offer to you."

Raven sighed. She couldn't just pack up and train with him. It would be good to learn more, but she didn't want to betray the titans.  
>"Even though I'd like to learn, I decline the offer." No apology was made.<p>

"Surely though, you are intelligent. So, who has educated to you all these things? I mean about your powers, and not about everything else."

Should she tell him? She pondered on the possibilities... Dear Azar, she thought. What could he do with the information? He could hardly reach her mother, as she was... gone. He couldn't do anything to a goddess too...

"My father must've told you I come from Azarath, and the Goddess there is called Azar. She was kind, and helped me to control myself and my emotions." It was spoken in a monotone, with no emotion. It was just a way to cope with telling him.

"Enough talk, Raven. I sense there has been enough. I propose a challenge, which I think you'll find amusing."

She was curious, for once. Why would Slade give her a challenge? Raven didn't know how to feel.

"You see that tree, next to you?" Raven turned to look at it. It, towered above her, seeming to reach the sky, and was a mass of trunks that seemingly melded together. She nodded.

"Climb it. I'll race you." Oh, great, Raven thought. The sarcasm was pouring in. He would win...

Nevertheless, she placed her foot firmly into the trunk, and started to climb. It was easy, almost. There were several footholds, and several places to lodge her hands into.

Slade, found it uncomplicated, even though it was harder for him. He weighed more (muscle weight, he hoped) and had a larger body to use.

He kept on going, and as did she. Since they were on opposite sides, he didn't know where she was.

On the other side of the tree, Raven was fully aware of Slade's position. Wherever the tree drooped slightly, then there he was. To make it worse for him, she always leant on where he was, making it droop further, and making it easier for herself. She smirked.

Slade reached the top, and to his shock, Raven was already there. He was overcome, and smirked when he saw her grin too.

"Don't get too arrogant, Slade, because this is what happens..."

Strangely enough, he didn't mind that she'd completed test. He wasn't even tired, just a little sore.

"Try this, Raven." Suddenly, he jumped off the edge, and down to below, landing in a crouch. He looked small. How could he survive a jump like that? Amazing...

She jumped, too, but had to use her powers to slow down. Raven felt free, gliding down. She crossed her legs, and as she came to the ground, she landed above it, hovering. It looked like she was meditating.

Raven stared up at the night sky. Just beautiful...It was clear, and nothing covered it. Here, everything was so different, and better? Just like Earth, but so different. Here, their two lives seemed so minute in comparison to that around them...but yet, she felt _bigger _in some ways, whether it was through the power of feeling stronger, or the fact that she had so much more control now...

Raven sat by the fire, watching the flames dance. Slade came to sit next to her, and she didn't find herself infuriated in any sense.

She lay down. Raven missed the Titans, terribly. She wanted to hear Starfire's strange English, hear Beast Boy make a joke, see Robin send her that smile of his, and have Cyborg comfort her...

You can do this, she thought. In her mind, she heard the Titans saying it too. She could and would do this, coming out improved; stronger, faster, smarter than ever before.

Slade was also lost in thought. He wondered what Wintergreen was doing in his absence. Probably dealing with rogues, he mused. He'd see his friend later, but now, what Raven and Slade needed was sleep.

As soon as he heard Raven's heavy breathing, he fell into his dreams.

-  
><strong>The chapters really short, sorry. Chapter 16 will be packed to make up for it. <strong>

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	16. Chapter 16

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"It's time," Raven announced, almost reluctantly. Almost. It was time for them to travel to the portals.

They'd eaten a large meal at the crack of dawn, and packed up all the things they had. Cleaned water had been put into their bottles, and blankets also had been washed in the river. By the time all of that was done, the sun was almost completely over their heads. Midday.

At the sound of Raven's announcement, Slade picked up the sack and flung it over his shoulder. He mentally prepared himself for Raven's powers' grip on him.

He heard her mutter her mantra quietly, and both of their bodies were surrounded with her black magic. It felt so cold, and strange. It was a sensation Slade couldn't comprehend. He'd rarely travelled by magic.

On the other hand, Raven felt that lifting their two bodies was easy, with her powers basically treating them like objects. She controlled them like dolls, with a map held in front of her.

"How do you feel, Slade?" She smirked. Not a lot of people liked being inside of her magic. Beast Boy for instance, found it 'creepy'.

"Strange. It's not a pleasant, nor a bad experience. It doesn't matter, so long as we get there."

The next few hours were spent in silence, watching the sky darken, threatening to become night.

It felt like they were flying, as the wind blew on them. The quietness felt loose, relaxed. It was just a peaceful silence.

Time passed quickly though, and before they knew it, the Portals were in sight. The Portals was really only one big portal, that lead to different places. At the moment, it was shut down. No one was in sight.

They landed on the ledge, and Slade had to regain his balance, after not using his legs for such a long time.

Raven also lost her balance, and tried to fling her arms forward, but it didn't help. She fell over the edge, with a shriek. Her heart raced, as she gripped onto the edge of the place she had been stood moments before.

Just before she skidded over, Slade knelt down and firmly grasped her wrists. He slowly dragged her over it, and she sat up, eyes wide.

Raven's heart was beating like a humming bird's wings. That definitely came as a shock. He kept his hands on her shoulders, as if to keep her there. She struggled in his grip, too shocked to notice what she was doing.

"Relax, Raven. Wait til your heart slows down, then we'll check the portals. But shouldn't someone...like yourself, have _natural _balance?"

Raven lifted her eyebrows and made a slight guttural sound, "I don't really like heights, okay?" He scoffed, while she felt herself calm down, her heart returning to a normal pace.

"I figured. Anyways, don't you think you're forgetting something?"

Her head hung downwards, and she sighed. "No." It was his turn to sigh. "Thanks for saving me, Slade." The villain smirked.

Both stood up, and looked at the dial to activate the portal. It was off. All the buttons that were working flashed, with only one that was clearly not illuminated like the others. It had a sun engraved into it.

"Elements needed to open the portal. The Sun, a portal frame, a clear destination, and less than five people. All other elements should already be prepared," Raven stated, reciting what she'd once learnt.

"So we'll have to stay overnight?" A sharp nod was the response. Great, Raven thought. This wasn't what she'd planned. She wanted to get home! But strangely, she didn't mind staying another night.

Slade walked over to an empty cliff clearing, and up to the edge. Raven stood behind him, staying safely inside. She did NOT want a repeat of before.

He lifted two blankets from the sack, and laid them next to each other on the ground. She sat down, while he did too.

"Slade, what if... what if the Titans... if the Titans don't accept me once I'm back? I mean, you're the Titans' enemy. What if...what if I've changed?"

Raven felt relieved to have released those thoughts she'd been harbouring. She'd been friendly, and somewhat kind to the villain. She was worried about what they'd think of her.

"You really do worry too much, Raven. If they were real friends, they'd like you for you, and not for the things you do. If they don't, then they aren't your friends."

He was... right. She was being silly. How could they not accept her? They'd accepted her and her demonic heritage, and even helped her battle Trigon. They'd like her, they'd embrace her back into the 'family' flow...

"Yeah, Slade, you're right. Thanks. I think I'm... um... going to meditate."

She went into position, and he followed suit. "I think I'll join you, Raven. It'll be one of the last times..."

No mantra was chanted, but they had perfectly cleared heads. Only clouded distant memories and worries seemed to fog various nooks and crannies in their minds. By reciting the mantra in their heads, all that was pushed away.

"Raven," Slade called, talking through their bond.

"Yes?" Their voices sounded exactly the same, just clearer and louder in their own heads. No emotion was felt through it, as he shielded his, and Raven shielded hers.

"How do you feel about controlling your emotions?" The question shocked her, as it was unexpected. Slade didn't know why he'd asked it either. It was just a thought.

"It's hard. Very hard. I just wish I could show emotion freely, you know. I see everyone all happy and trying to get me to join in, but then I'm such an introvert, and have to control my emotions so I don't hurt them. I don't think they appreciate it, they think I'm weird. It's not fair."

She blushed at revealing such information, but he had asked her. The other Titans, if ever, rarely asked her about how she felt on controlling them.

"Life never is fair, Raven. Your friends make you show your emotions, happiness, anger, jealously, love, even? They make you have to keep control."

"Yes, Slade, but without them, then I wouldn't be able to be happy at all."

"Are you sure, Raven? I thought you'd have made quite the villainess?"

She jeered in the bond, with the urge to roll her eyes. She had an idea... Maybe Raven could try it, she thought.

"What are you thinking about, Raven?" She'd forgotten to close the bond, cursing herself silently for her stupidity.

"Well, I thought maybe through our bonds, we could appear as ourselves, in our minds? It's like we're meeting in real life, except it'd be in our heads so we don't have to show up. Just meditate Slade. I'll do the rest."

He cleared his mind, and so did Raven. She muttered her mantra, before teleporting them into a blank in their minds. It was basically a whole memory being made, or like daydreaming, except being in control.

Suddenly, they lost contact with their physical bodies, and were transported into a... bookstore?

"Sorry, Slade. When we go somewhere, it has to be a place we have in our memories. This was a store I was in at the time I was there last month. I just picked it because it seemed fitting."

They looked the same as they would in real life, but everything was going on in their minds. It was 'mind-boggling'.

"So, where are our real bodies? Also, why are we merely in a memory, and not seeing things in real life?"

She sighed, annoyed. "Our bodies are exactly where we left them. In case you're wondering, this is different to releasing our spirits out to see. Right now, we're releasing our spirits into our minds, not into the world. I'm a sorceress, I can do that. You can't."

She would smirk, but Slade would have seen Raven do it. It felt good for her to tell him something he couldn't do.

Raven walked over to a bookshelf, hand drifting over them in turn. She loved the musty smell, the intelligence from the books.

Slade, meanwhile, opened the door, to come into contact with whiteness. Shocked, he closed it. "I chose this place. You'll only see, this place. It's empty. No other people. Time is frozen."

"I've seen enough, Raven. Let's go." Sighing again, she snatched his hand and teleported them back into their bodies. Slade was a little disoriented, but none the worse for wear.

By the time he recovered, he saw Raven already asleep. Sighing, watching her for a few hopeless moments, and drifting off himself too. Their last night there...

**Guys, sorry for the late update. I- QLF have been very busy.**

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**The Pear**


	17. Chapter 17

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-  
>Chapter 17<p>

"Wake up, Raven." The girl groaned, as Slade shook her awake. It took ten minutes for her and him to prepare, and re-reach the portal.

A map of planets was there. She selected Earth. The portal whirred, and then turned on, a whirlwind of colours showing. "Slade, I know we're going to Earth, but there are no proper specifics. It doesn't say Jump City anywhere. It just says Gotham and Blüdhaven. All the rest aren't in America, or aren't there at all."

Being the best tactician, Slade knew he'd be the one to decide their destination. Gotham seemed ideal, he knew the area. But then he'd have to arrange how to leave, and he was sure the Batman would not let him go if spotted. He wouldn't mind a fight, but with Raven there as well, trouble would ensue. He could be caught.

Blüdhaven? He'd been there recently, making sure people knew who he was, and not to mess with him. The city had a corrupt police force, who could be bribed easily. People would be mugged every day, and would never be alone outside. It was the secondary Gotham of the universe, somewhat unspoken of however, and with no heroes to rally up the villains.

"Select Blüdhaven. Let's go." A blurred image of the city appeared, and he took the sack and slung it over his shoulder, while Raven just stared.

Joining hands, and entwining fingers, they walked through together. They appeared in a rundown street, at night. Cracked pavement tripped Raven, and losing her balance for a second, she truly felt silly. However Slade seemed unfazed, eyes transfixed on the coal black buildings around him and the smoky sky over his head.

Their hands quickly retreated back to their own bodies, away from each others clasp, they began to fully look around the area they had landed in.

"Where...where are we?" She regretted asking, as it was a stupid question. They were in Blüdhaven. But, seeing the Earth's night sky was a huge relief for her. However, seeing the fractured roads, littered with garbage, ahead of them, was not.

"Where do you think?" he responded, sarcastically. "Now, let's go. I'm going to get us some money."

Slade began to forcibly drag Raven, who was slightly out of it. "Wait! Get money? Are you going to steal? Trust me, I promise I'll stop you if you dare." A slight glare made its way out into the open, formed by Raven.

Slade brushed it off, sighing. No time for arguing. He was going to lose it. "Do you have a way to get us a hotel room then?" he hissed.

Raven sighed. She placed her hand on his broad shoulder, and her shadow raven flew all the way to a building that had a bright motel sign.

She was relieved to be back to Earth's gravity, as the load was light. The black raven flew into an empty motel room, and dropped her and Slade out.

"We'll stay here. I searched the motel with my mind; this room is the biggest, and the emptiest. Complain, Slade, and I'll shove you outside."

He chuckled, amused by the threat. "You can try." She sent a scowl his way, and his eye narrowed. "Hungry?" Raven nodded. It had been a while.

"Good. And if you're so worried about stealing money, then I'll pay. I do have much money to spare."

Raven nodded. This was a good arrangement, and the rogue had nothing to lose. He was rich. "I'll pay you back."

He shook his head. "No need."

The room was simple, with faded yellow walls, and a warm yellow light on the ceiling. The carpet was a dark blue, with dirt in places. A double bed was in the centre, with a rusty wardrobe on the right wall next to the bed. On the opposite side, was a door, leading to an en-suite. Next to that door, a netted exit led to a balcony.

"What about your mask? Won't someone recognise you? And do you know where to go?"

"I know a place we can eat. And rest assured, no trouble will come. Firstly, they'll be too scared to do anything and the city's police and justice system is fraudulent. If anything, they'll think it's a good thing I'm there."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and walked over to him. "I'll take us down onto the streets, and then you can lead us there."

Raven watched as he dumped the haversack onto the bed, promising it'd be safe, and then took them down, phasing through the floor.

A cold, biting wind blew over them, with a calming and cool effect. The night sky was still full of life.

She was entranced with the city, as he dragged her into a decent looking cafe.

They were the only customers, other than another shady looking couple. It was because of the hour of night.

The cafe reminded Raven of the one in Jump. It was old, and dim. The smell of food could easily be detected, and the furniture obviously aged. Tables were caked in tea and sugar, forming layers other the years, and the waitress looked happy; yet completely and utterly uninterested in anything and everything that was occurring.

They sat at the corner table, with them both receiving strange looks, most likely because of the villain, and Raven's strange appearance.

A scrawny and old server limped to their table. "What'll you have, dearies?" Her toothless grin caused Raven to look impatiently at Slade, begging him to get on with ordering so that the woman could disappear.

Slade spoke first. "I'll have nothing, thank you." He wasn't going to take his mask off to eat. It was no food, or his identity revealed. He'd rather the former.

"Herbal tea please, and a buttered crumpet." The old lady sauntered off, to get them their orders.

Having a meal with Slade there made Raven feel... weird. It wasn't bad, but not great either.

Within a matter of minutes, Raven got her order. She nibbled on the crumpet, and smiled. Real food... She then sipped the herbal tea, that wasn't as good as the towers', but still tasted flavourful.

"Such manners, Raven. What about your little team? The alien, changeling and Cyborg eat like animals, am I correct?" The man scoffed.

She laughed at the memory of them, nodding to Slade. "How'd you first come here, Slade?"

"I was on a little mission, and came here to meet my client. Decent food, decent enough place, to put it simply."

As Raven finished her small meal, Slade paid the woman with a credit card, typing the pin quickly.

As soon as he'd finished, she transported them both back into their room. The sack was where they left it, but it was later moved to the corner of the room.

Raven stifled a yawn, and Slade did too. "Rest, Raven. It's late. Young women need their sleep." He climbed onto the bed, turning off the light.

"I know. I'm just going to go outside for some air, you know?" She went onto the balcony, as the wind blew softly. It was good to be back on Earth, and better to know she'd be back to the Titans soon. She leant her arms on the railings.

The sound of city nightlife made her sleepy, lulling her. After an hour of watching, her eyes slid closed, and she was fast asleep.

Slade, meanwhile, was inside, wondering what happened to her. Dragging himself out of the cushioned bed, he opened the balcony door slightly. The gap was large enough to see the sleeping girl, and Slade couldn't resist smirking.

He sighed, tutting. He picked her up, strong arms under her knees and back. He noticed she looked peaceful, serene.

Laying her down on one side of the bed, he slid the cover over her shivering body. Brushing Raven's hair out of her face gently. He sat down, on the other side of the bed, and shutting his eyes, absorbed his surroundings. It was good to be back...and he knew, things were about to get...very interesting.

**There yah go!**

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	18. Chapter 18

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Chapter 18

As soon as Slade awoke, he could tell something was... different.

On his chest, was a mop of silky purple hair. He looked at it for a second, before realizing it was Raven's head. He was going to jump up out of shock, but he was Slade.

Suddenly, she turned, her face looking at his, but Raven was still asleep. She looked serene, at peace, almost happy. He'd never seen the Titan like that.

Softly, gently, like a paternal gesture, he stroked her hair, before gently easing her off of him, standing up and sub consciously brushing his hips.

The girl really was tired, since she showed no reaction to movement, other than the slight twitch she gave. Slade looked to the clock, and it read five in the morning. She probably wouldn't wake up til later, and he never slept properly anyways. Insomniac.

It was an easy feat for him to jump out of the window, and silently make his way down to a phone store. Like many others have, Slade simply stole one. But before he left, he grabbed some newspapers, stashing them for later.

Dialling the number would be no trouble: Slade had it memorized. Within a matter of seconds, he picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?" It felt so good for the man to hear his old friend again.

"Wintergreen, it's me. Listen, I'll explain everything once I get back, but as for now, I need you to pick us up as soon as you can, at Blüdhaven's warehouses, in the south district."

"Will do, Master Slade. Us? Is there more?" A hint of curiosity was in Wintergreen's voice, but it still held it's firmness.

"Look, Will, there's been complications. I'm afraid you'll have to take me and Raven from the Teen Titans, home."

The villain heard a grunt of acceptance, and then ended the call. Pocketing the phone, it took mere minutes for Slade to reach the hotel room.

Raven was still fast asleep in the bed, and he pulled a chair up next to the bed, sitting on it. She probably wouldn't be happy if she awoke to Slade in bed with her.

Staring at her, he felt a stab of pity. He'd never show it though. The girl was daughter to a demon, she had to control her emotions. He knew what a kid's life was meant to be like, since he had kids. They were meant to enjoy things, feel sadness and joy, but she couldn't.

Raven had to restrain her powers, but if she accepted training from Slade, then he felt he could teach her to control it. It worked with Terra, so it'll work with her. That's what he thought.

Slade grabbed the newspaper he took, and started to read it, his lone eye skimming over headlines. Having one eye made him always think of Addie: her beautiful eyes, that lovely smile, the fierce protectiveness...

Slade noticed that Raven's head twitched ever so slightly, and breathing quickened. She was waking up. As if instantly remembering where she was, her eyes opened quickly.

"Good morning, Raven," he greeted, with amusement seeping in. Watching potential adversaries wake up was... fun.

"Good morning, Slade," she mumbled, a look of annoyance plastered to her face. "What time is it?"

Looking at the time on the clock, it read seven in the morning. Time flies, so you've got to rush. "Seven in the morning."

She looked at Slade, and then at the newspaper. He could hear the cogs in her brain spinning, and saw her reach her hand out to touch the bed. She was checking whether it was still warm, to see if he'd been gone long.

"Where have you been?" Fast thinker, but asks too many questions. A big sense of curiosity, the man assumed.

"Well, my dear, I've arranged for a old friend of mine to take us back to Jump, by collecting a phone."

Raven's eyes narrowed, obviously knowing he had stole a phone. "What makes you think that I'm going to going back with you?"

Slade wanted to slap her because of the disrespectful tone she used. "How else would you get home?"  
>She hesitated, and didn't answer. So he spoke instead, to fill the silence.<p>

"I assure you, Raven, that I will not kidnap you. This old friend of mine is merely a man I met at a young age."

She seemed relieved at the first statement, and shocked at the second. Was it that much of a shock that he had a friend?

When Raven still didn't answer, he walked to the en suite. Standard stuff, nothing fancy. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be back in a bit." Seeing her nod, he entered and locked the door behind himself.

Once Slade was done, he redressed, and came out. Raven was now on the stool he was on before, reading the same newspaper. Everything on Blüdhaven news was nowhere near as interesting as Jump. He knew that was biased.

Before he turned off the shower power, the mastermind wondered if she wanted one. He voiced that question. "Do you want to take a shower?"

"Yes. I'll go now, it's been a while, and I know I stink." _Too true_, Slade thought, smiling.

She walked into the room, and locked the door. Slade took his mask off, once he heard the water running. Subconsciously rubbing where his right eye should be, he sighed.

_I'm getting old, aren't I? I'm physically fit, but I do admit that I work a lot. Being a mastermind criminal is tiring, but has it's pros too._

The man brushed his hair from his eye, and then held the mask in front of himself.

The one eye hole made him feel so much regret. The mask, it's what Slade was. It's made him, himself.

It's what has made him so many enemies, made him so happy, so sad too. By putting on Deathstroke's mask, Slade was protecting his family, but having a separate identity.

When he'd lost Adeline, he changed the mask to metal, but kept the design. He had to remember, but some change is good.

Slade heard the door lock give a slight ring, then slipped the mask on.

Raven sat on the edge of the bed, close to him, yet so far away. Time to talk, Slade thought.

"When we get back, what are we going to do?"

Slade's eye narrowed slightly, since he was confused. What did she mean? He voiced that question.

"Well, Slade, we can't just go back to old ways. I mean, we're not enemies. Sort of friends? What should we do?"

"Perhaps we need to still fight each other. I'm sure your leader would accuse me of brainwashing you to join me."

He wasn't abandoning her, but one very powerful, goody two shoes girl was not going to change him. Slade had been going too long this way to change. He was content with the life of a villain. Being good has led him to be this man; stronger, less caring and more vicious.

Confusion and shook appeared in her eyes, but disappeared by the time he recognized it. A sudden coldness replaced it.

"Oh, I see. Back to your selfish ways?"

She was angry. The man chuckled, and her eyes narrowed. "I think I'll miss that little temper of yours, my dear."

Her face softened. She wasn't used to jokes from him, he assumed. "I'll miss your attitude, Slade."

"Did you enjoy our little journey, Raven?" Slade did, but he knew he had taken little out of it.

"Yes. It's nice to have a atmosphere change. But once we're back in Jump, we'll be enemies. You're still bad, I'm still good."

He sighed. "Do you still see it that way?" A sudden look of remembrance appeared in her eyes.

"No. There's white and black, but in the middle is grey. You're not necessarily evil, but the goodness of the world has made you into who you are. You're just lost."

"Lost? We're in Blüdhaven." Slade thought he knew where they were.

"Not that sort of lost. I mean as a person you're lost, Slade. You need someone to just find you and make you see the world for the better. You need to pick a side. Doing bad deeds doesn't make you bad."

"Well, my dear, that was touching. If I'm as lost as you say I am, perhaps you are lost too."

All of a sudden, the phone he stole vibrated. Picking it up, he accepted the call. The man knew who it was.

"Sir, I am on my way. I took the custom made limo, as I decided it would be best. Please, prepare."

Slade cut the line, then looked at the sack. Raven followed his gaze. "We don't need it anymore, but take anything you want," the man said.

He walked to the window, looking down, while he heard the girl's shuffling feet, presumably grabbing what she wanted. Maybe she'd left the knife in there?

He heard and saw the limo coming.

**Sorry for the short cliffhanger chapter!**

**Review, it's motivation... Sure is! You'll know, and you do, don't you?**

**The Pear**


	19. The End?

**Heya guys! **

**So, here is the last chapter of the story. It's not the last, you know, coz there's still the epilogue too, but you know what we mean.**

**Say thanks to ravenkakashiluv26, Gingerstorm101, Merophe, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, The Amethyst Eyes and last but not least, XLucy0117X.**

**Can't believe the story's almost finished. It seems like only last week me and SRF were emailing each other Chapter 1; but through the internet complications, school work and the long-distance, we've still managed to bring you this next chapter!**

**I wanna take this time, once more, to Thank SRF, for writing and coming up with such an awesome idea! I really can't take credit for any of this! Sure, I beta'd, I threw around Ideas, but SRF was truly the mastermind !**

**I'd like to thank all of the reviewers too! Without you guys, we really wouldn't have had the motivation to keep going to the end! You guys are truly the life line of this story; Thanks!  
><strong>  
>Chapter 19<p>

A limo, black, sleek, iconic- much like any other from the A-list Hollywooder's garage- pulled up outside of the hotel. The building looked ancient compared to the vehicle.

Slade reached out, and firmly gripped Raven's hand, and gave it a small squeeze as a signal. She teleported them both outside of the hotel, landing them beside the limo.

Slade instantly opened a back door to the car, for Raven- who seemed hesitant to enter. Was it a trap? Would they kidnap her? An old voice, which obviously belonged to a man, answered her unspoken questions;"It's alright, Miss Raven. Master Slade and I will not do anything of the sort."

Uncomfortably, feeling somewhat violated, she slid in, taking the seat behind the old man, next to the window. Slade took the seat next to her, making the dark girl shiver.

"Miss Raven, would you like a drink or some snacks? Tea, water, some biscuits maybe?" Raven wasn't too used to the whole 'ride-in-style' journey, but didn't want to seem rude. She cleared her throat softly, and without giving a second eye to the man, who questioned her, responded with a simple, "Yes. I'll just have some water please." After a few moments, of listening to the driver scuffle up front, a question arose in her mind, and almost as quickly slipped out into the open, "Who are you?"

The fumbling ceased, and Raven quite clearly saw the man look into the car mirror, to meet the eye of his master.

Slade spoke for him, quickly, obviously wanting to get the topic over and done with, "His name is Wintergreen, and he is a friend of mine, who serves me as a butler."

Raven thought it was strange to have your friend as a servant, but kept her mouth shut. She was going back to Jump, and already she was anxious. Besides, who was she to judge about his friends? Her friends weren't exactly, well, normal...

Wintergreen's hand passed Raven a bottle of water and she uncapped it quickly, taking small gulps cautiously. Once done, she put it into a seat pouch. Her attention almost immediately turned to the window adjacent to her; she began watching several fractured and decaying buildings pass by. Mysterious, somewhat frightening men gazed at the car as Wintergreen drove past, they seemed almost too close for comfort. Raven looked on as their toothless smirks and gleaming eyes observed her. It was disturbing.

She shivered, and backed towards Slade, brushing against him. She instantly nudged away from the man, a look of unease plastered upon her grey face, "Sorry, I didn't mean to," she mumbled. She moved even further away; however her distance from the window was still much more distinct than that from Slade.

Slade gave Raven an odd luck, "The people of Blüdhaven are plentiful, though mostly untrustworthy. There are plenty of gangs to go around, mafia leaders, drug dealers, and such...but it's nothing to fear, Raven. You should know that your powers would defeat them long before they hurt you."

Raven contemplated on whether she should deny to Slade about been somewhat afraid, but decided not to lie. She wasn't going to be like _him_. Her thoughts turned back towards the world outside, and soon she was peering out of the glass once more. The view was becoming noticeably nicer the further the car drove out of Blüdhaven.

The surroundings passed by quickly and silently, as well as endlessly. There was no noise, and the somewhat relaxing silence was lulling her to sleep, Raven's eyes drooping slightly. Did she even sleep enough over the night? She kept shaking her head, and Slade chuckled quietly at her vain attempts to stay awake.

By the time she was exhausted, a lot of time had already passed. Her head was already upon Slade's broad shoulder, after falling on it. Her breathing slowed. Raven was asleep.

"What do you want with her, Master Slade, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind, Wintergreen. I do want her as an apprentice, but as of now my plans have nothing concerning her," Slade told his old friend.

"I see. But you've grown close to this Titan?" A nod, and William Wintergreen smiled, his eyes shining with memories. It was good to know his master could still be comfortable with other people, considering what had happened with Pat, Adeline, Joseph, Grant...

Silence ensued, but it was bearable. Within a few more hours (and a few biscuits for the hungry Slade), they'd arrived in Jump City. Raven was still asleep, obviously tired. In fact, everyone seemed fatigued.

It was beneficial though. Since she was asleep, she wouldn't know where his lair was, but it didn't matter. He had enough trust in Raven to know she wouldn't betray his location.

They were downtown Jump, where it was considerably worse than Central Jump City. It could remind one of the narrows in Gotham...but clearly, the area wasn't THAT bad. A few people still wandered through the streets, and lights shone out of a number of well-secured homes. Wintergreen parked outside a shady warehouse, not far from a large industrial site. The limo was soon parked inside a secluded garage, and its door was locked with a hand scanner.

Slade gingerly moved Raven's head off his shoulder, and then stepped out the limo. Undoing her seatbelt, he carried her out, an arm under her knees and one underneath her neck.

They walked to a barely visible entrance, where a machine scanned Slade's eye. The door hissed open, barely heard. Stepping in, Wintergreen went to attend to his duties, Slade carried Raven to a small room, in which only a bed and lamp took refuge. He laid her onto the bed, and escaped the space.

A half hour later, Raven woke up, in unfamiliar surroundings. She shot up quickly, wincing from a headache.

A knock came on the door, and after rubbing her eyes, and coming to terms with what was happening, she agreed to let the person enter. "Come in," Her voice came somewhat gruff- probably due to the fact that she hadn't spoken for a good few hours. Slade strode into the room and instantly bombarded Raven with words, which didn't help her aching head; "You're awake. Good. I was just about to wake you. Now, would you like anything to eat, or just to go?"

She peeled the covers off herself, and stood up, out of bed, "I don't need anything."

He nodded, and gestured for her to follow. They walked down a maze of corridors, and it appeared that they were underground, due to the lack of light and earthy texture to her surroundings. _In his lair_. Those three words made Raven hesitant.

They reached the entrance, and Slade turned to face her. "I'm afraid I can't take you to the tower. I'm sure the Titans wouldn't appreciate my presence." He smiled in amusement, unseen, "Especially Robin."

She nodded almost too hastily. "Okay, Slade. Goodbye, I guess." Not the hero, nor the villain were sure of what they were supposed to say. Goodbyes, were most definitely not their strongest acts.

Raven stepped closer to Slade, some minute emotion welling up inside her chest. This man... was a puzzle. Not knowing what to do, she held out her hand. Slade gave it a firm shake. She pulled his arm forward, and then hugged Slade, both arms wrapping round his abdomen.

After overcoming his shock, he awkwardly patted her back. Almost instantly, Raven pulled away, her face emotionless.

"It won't be the last time I see you, my dear. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon. There's no need to bid me adieu."

She nodded, and he saw her out of the entrance. Giving a wave, and an unseen smirk, he watched Raven turn into a shadow bird, taking off.

She flew into the Titan's main room, where Beast Boy and Cyborg were sitting on the black couch, as if deep in thought. Robin and Starfire were sitting next to the kitchen counter, looking the same.

They seemed absorbed in what they were doing, so she cleared her throat.

Suddenly, she was crushed in a tight hug. "Friend! You have returned! We were so worried about you! Beast Boy has not been the making the jokes, Cyborg has been plugged to the computer all day, I have not been flying, and Robin has not been doing the sleep! You are unharmed, yes? Where have you been? It is wonderful to see you of the again! We must now celebrate. Please, Raven, try this delicacy I have just made!" She held a bowl of green gloop to Raven's face. Raven felt her stomach flip.

All the titans hurriedly stopped what they were doing, immediately running next to her. Robin stepped in, giving Raven a strange look. "Hey, Star, as much as she wants to, I think we have to sort some stuff out first."

Starfire nodding understandingly. "I see. I shall leave it til later in the coldness of the fridge!"

Raven smiled slightly at her friends English, and heard a gasp behind her.

"No way! Did you see that? Raven smiled! What's so funny, Rae?"

"It's _Raven_. Nothing's funny, it's just good to see you guys again."

A chorus of 'awws' came out, and all the titans came together for a hug, her in the centre of it. Within seconds, she pulled out of it.

Robin, suddenly remembered why she was gone. "Where's Slade? Did he hurt you? Do you know where he is?"

"I'm here, so I didn't get hurt. No, I'm sorry, I don't know where he is." The last sentence was a white lie. Of course she knew, and she was guessing Robin knew that too.

"What happened?" It was the question they were all dying to ask.

Raven decided to tell them now, so she wouldn't have to later. She told the story of how they'd reached the dimension, and how they encountered different challenges. She made sure to leave out certain details on how she came close to Slade, and about their bond. She did, however, mention that he saved her. Robin's jaw seemed to hit the ground.

By the time she had finished, the whole team were in shock. It wasn't that big a deal to her, but then again somewhere deep down; it was some sort of weird milestone.

"Hey guys, you might wanna close your mouths. You might catch bugs," she explained, interrupting the brief silence.

Robin recovered first, ignoring her heavy sarcasm. "He saved you? How? Has he brainwashed you?"

Raven wasn't sure how to answer that. Had he brainwashed her? She could imagine a mini Slade scrubbing her brain with a cloth, and suppressed the urge to smile at the thought. Cyborg, forever understanding, stepped in.

"Look, man, I know we all have questions for Raven, but I'm sure she's tired. A few weeks with that monster sure is gonna make her exhausted. Just let her sleep, okay?"

Raven wanted to say he wasn't a monster, but didn't bother, as his excuse was good enough for her, "Sorry, guys. Talk in the morning maybe?"

They all nodded, smiling at her. It was good to be home. She walked to her room, stepping in and looking at the thin layer of dust that had developed. They must have been too scared to enter.

Walking over to her bedside table, she took out the knife Slade gave her, and remembered when he'd given it to her. The 'S' insignia was taunting her. She gently placed it on the table, not giving it another glance.

Raven noticed her window was open, and hurriedly closed it. Why was it open? It was closed when she entered, and none of the Titans would've come in. Her senses hadn't detected any emotions. Did someone come in while she was distracted?

She turned to her bed and lay down, noticing a glinting object beside her. She ran her fingers round the rim, almost lovingly. She hugged it to her chest, already knowing what it was, then looked at it. It was an all too familiar sight.

It was Slade's mask.

**THE END.**

**Review guys? We really wanna know how you think it turned out!**

**Epilogue chapter after, no sequel.**


	20. Last Chapter

**Hey, this is SladeRavenFan, speaking for the last chapter, or epilogue... It pains me to say it... **

**I'd appreciate if you could check out Change, the story I'm writing, with the amazing qweerlittlefish being my beta reader. Still Slade and Raven centric, you'll love it.**

**All the thank you's, will be at the bottom. Check 'em out, because your name might be on there, whether you reviewed or not.**

**But, let's all say a huge thanks to the perfect qweerlittlefish, because without her, none of this would have happened. **_**(qlf- trlolololololololo- and let's give a huge round of applause to my bud SRF- she's really talented! I'm sure you all agree!)**_

**Anyways, we own nothing.**

**Enjoy!**

Epilogue:

_Two weeks after Slade and Raven's return..._

Raven tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. It was one in the morning. _Stupid insomnia...  
><em>  
>She noticed many things in two weeks after their return.<p>

For example, all the Titans acted differently around her, and it probably was because she was chummy with Slade.

Robin noticed that in hand to hand combat, she had improved a lot. That wasn't a bad thing, but he noticed that her style was the same as Slade's. Had he taught her? His blood boiled at the thought, remembering his own days with Slade. That man, Robin would kill him if he had the chance. He couldn't eveb sleep at night, wondering what he and Raven had done while they were apart from the team- how close had they gotten? Did Raven have blood on her hands too?

Cyborg acted the same, but was more sensitive to his 'little sister', as though saying the wrong thing would set a bomb off. He was worried for her, she seemed somewhat more...raw...more edgy in a way. Her subtle but obvious changes frightened Cyborg to an extent- had he really lost his sister?

Beast Boy was almost oblivious to her similarities to Slade, but cracked even more jokes. He noticed she seemed happier, letting a genuine smile out more often, which still wasn't often enough. In many ways, his awkward comic relief attitude battered Raven more than ever...but for some reason or other; she had become so much more patient, hardly ever thinking about throwing him out of a window.

Starfire was concerned more, trying to drag the dark girl with her to more places, trying to spend more time with her. She was trying to save her from her thoughts. Slade could've poisoned them, and even the naive alien girl could she plain as day that Raven was...different.

The one good thing Raven noticed though was that they'd stopped asking her questions about the criminal. They probably thought they'd get no more answers. Which Raven knew all too well was the truth.

For that moment, she needed to relax, and then sleep. The empath phased through the ceilings, as well as the floors, to reach the roof. Standing on the edge, she remembered when she had been up there, back at the time she was still dealing with the prophecy.

"Can't sleep, Raven?"

A smirk played its way onto her mouth. She already knew who it was. A hand placed itself on her shoulder, Raven suppressing a shudder. The man could still kill her any second, but she knew deep down he wouldn't dare try with the team just under their feet.

"Not really, Slade. Come to pay me a visit?"

The last time they'd spoken was a week ago, through their bond. There had been less contact because of the Titans checking up on her more, taking up more of her time.

"I thought that was more than obvious, my dear. Tell me, Raven, how you are? After all, you must be happy to be back with your family?"

She didn't speak yet, savouring the moment, and just trying to piece together an answer, and as she thought, her cloak whipped behind her in the wind, her face cold from the chilling night breeze. She could see Slade next to her, his mask shining, reflecting the moon.

It was dark, but light enough to see each other. The skies were sapphire, with the moon waning, directly above the duo. Lights from buildings were on, Jump City still full of night life.

"I'm just a little out of place. I'd rather be in that dimension, but yes, I am happy to be back. They're still my family, they still care. I care for them too. But when something changes, you get used to it. So when it changes back, you want it to change again, to what you were used to. They just treat me differently. I'll get used to it...I hope."

Heavy footsteps were heard, heading for the roof. "I see. Someone is coming. Goodbye, Raven. Remember though- Things are never as good as you remember them."

"Don't go, I still want to talk!" It was too late, as he'd jumped off the roof. As she looked down, he was gone.

A thought, his thought, made itself heard in her head. '_If you really have more to say, Raven, then we'll talk later through the bond.'_

She didn't get to reply, since Cyborg had appeared on the roof. He looked tired as he trod over to her, heavy metal feet surprisingly quiet, covered by the wind.

"Hey, Rae! Why are you up so late? I heard noises, so I came up." He scratched the human side of his head, anxiously.

It was a half lie, Raven could tell. She was caught up on whether he'd heard Slade. To keep up her facade, she raised an eyebrow, to which the cybernetic teen raised one too.

Cyborg had really come up because his scanners said there were two people on the roof. As soon as he'd come, one had left. He had suspicions. Still, he was tired, and didn't want to ruin his relationship with his friends over some guy. Trivial...

"I couldn't sleep. I was meditating up here," she replied coolly, wondering how she could lie to her friends so easily. _Must be because of him...  
><em>  
>He nodded, quickly following the action up with a yawn, "Oh, okay then. I'm just gonna recharge now, and you should sleep too. You look exhausted. Goodnight, Rae."<p>

He walked off, and she realised something. "It's _Raven_. Goodnight, Cyborg."

She teleported back to her room, and sat in the lotus position, breathing deeply. Feeling Slade 'call' her through the bond, she let her soul be taken away to his.

Raven found herself in an abandoned warehouse, the same warehouse where they had fought on her birthday. Slade had chosen it. It was still intact, because that's how he had remembered it.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

She nodded, as he appeared in front of her. "Look, I didn't really have anything to say, but I just didn't want to stop talking. Around you, I'm more relaxed, and understood."

A small chuckle, but the sorceress found nothing funny about what she said. "Touching, Raven. Perhaps I can find more time for our little conversations."

"Thanks. There's nothing more I have to say. This isn't the last time, so I'll see you next time," she said, smiling.

"Your optimism is really adorable."

"You... you said that to me before the prophecy. In that vision, stopping me from mediating. Why did you work for him?"

"The deal was that I'd get what I'd lost, which in this case meant my flesh and bones. Still, working for your father had its own benefits, Raven."

"He's not my father," she hissed. "What benefits did you get? Causing me trauma? My destiny was worse enough."

"What benefits did I get, Raven? Let's see, my dear, the Titans are still my enemies. That journey to that dimension has changed little. Maybe my relationships with you, but if I must remind you, just know that nothing has changed here, in Jump. Besides, you've overcome your destiny."

"Nothing ever is set in stone, Slade. Why do we have to argue?"

"It's... amusing. Our quarrels are our type of conversation, Raven. We are still enemies, you know."

"I can accept that," she replied.

All the colours blurred, as she came back into her body. Lying down on her bed, she fell asleep. Little regret on was felt on how early she had came back, and leaving Slade. She was home, and that was all that mattered.

Raven was asleep, but next to her, on her bedside table, were two things that represented everything to her. One was Slade's mask, the other was a picture her and the Titans.

There would be no choice.

-

Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse, an excited Wintergreen watched Slade's soul come into his body.

"Learnt a new trick, Slade?"

"Yes, Will. Spending time with a telepath gets you many things."

Slade stood up, brushing his suit. He was going to sleep. Rest mattered now, but there was plenty of time later to reminisce.

His old friend disappeared to the kitchen, reappearing into his master's room where Slade was lying in bed. Sighing heavily, Wintergreen placed a cup of herbal tea on a wooden table. Herbal tea always did do wonders to soothe people.

"Thank you, Wintergreen. Goodnight."

He nodded, smiling. The butler sauntered off, presumably to sleep as well.

As Slade closed his eyes, Raven's were closed too. Smiles covered both their faces.

Everything was going to be alright...

-

That is the end of the story, but not the end just yet. Haven't you wondered why the story was called Lost?

Everyone is lost themselves, waiting to be found. This pair were lost in a dimension together, lost in friendship, lost souls even. But everyone will always be found. By who, or what, it's always an unexpected thing.

To be lost in a place, is merely not knowing where you are. It doesn't matter, but knowing where you belong does.

THE END. (the real end)

**Okay, we might just shed some tears. For SRF's first fic, that was amazing. **

**Please review, whether you haven't yet or not, make it count. After all, it's the end of the story, tell us what you thought of it all, and check out SladeRavenFan's story!**

**Read through this, you'll find you probably have your name here, whether you reviewed or not. Sorry if we haven't mentioned you, but it means we haven't any way to know you read this story.**

**A huge thanks to (alphabetical order): **_**1Animefreakgurl, Alister Nightfoot, Angelic Toaster, ArtMelody, Blood Dragon XIII, Clayr411, DiminjaWilloIs, Dkaraly, donnabella2k7, dream raven13, Eagle wolf05, emotionalpoemgirl, Eracion317, Gingerstorm101, GreenNightStar, j, KittyKuddler14896, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, kunoichihyuuga, Luna Arashikage, Lust for Life, mark logan, Merophe, Random hero77, ravenkakashiluv26, Redfudge, ShadowGirdo, sinomin, The Amethyst Eyes, The Imperfect Me, Topkat82, true story, Twiheartlover, Whooeva U Gonna' Bee, WinterYoung, woot woot 123 and XLucy0117X.**_

**You guys rock, and thanks to all who read. **

**Seeya around,**

**The Pear**


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